Reporting by David Kornfeld, Sara Saltzman and Laura Candela
Day 2: Friday - April 24, 2009
Here's a recap of the EXPO's concurrent panels held on Friday, April 24, 2009:
Master Session with Ricky Skaggs
MODERATOR: Jim Steinblatt
Ricky Skaggs was welcomed this morning by a warm and receptive audience eager to listen to what the revered bluegrass and country music star had to say about his career and process as a music creator.
What was immediately evident was his strong connection to his musical roots. He spoke fondly and reverently not only about his family's influence as a young man, but also the incredible education he received from the community he was surrounded by while growing up. Ricky dwelled on the importance of sharing and exchanging ideas and information as music creators; to be around other musicians who are better than you; to not be afraid of giving of yourself (your time, your knowledge, your respect) to others. Essentially, that you have to give it away in order to receive it.
The discussion included several stories about his youth; performing with the legend Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. Throughout the conversation you absolutely got a sense of Skaggs' deep respect and appreciation for those who came before him, the "fathers," and how seriously he takes his role as a mentor to the next generation of music creators.
Pop/Rock Song Feedback
MODERATOR: Jennifer Blakeman
PANEL: Ethan Allen, Jake Ottmann, Lindy Robbins, John Rubeli
The panel of four gave overall positive feedback and responses for songwriters and artists. The group was encouraging but still gave honest opinions.
Allen: "Just let your music flow."
Ottmann: "I always love a clever lyric. There always room for absurdness"
Robbins: "Illustrate your story, don't tell it. Songs have different purposes and it's dangerous not to have a hook or something to hold on to, so be obvious."
Rubeli: "I used to think that demos could be bare...it's refreshing for someone to throw out the rule book. If your song has a high word count, your words have to mean something."
Production Music: Placing Your Music in Film, Television, Video Games and Advertising
MODERATOR: Doug Wood
PANEL: Cindy Badell Slaughter, Rich Goldman, Gary Gross, Adam Taylor, Randy Wachtler
Getting your music into TV, films, advertisements and video games takes a certain understanding of how the music will ultimately be used. This session covered the process from all points of view including songwriters, music directors, libraries, and publishers.
Every show has a venue, so writing to that venue is key. But so often the music isn't the star of the scene. When you're composing you want to think the music is the star, but it's not. You shouldn't think of it that way, and it'll help.
Takeaways:
If we ask you what you're good at, don't say everything. We prefer people who have a passion for a style. Need full songs, not just snippets, and enough songs to determine our feelings about your music.
Write a clean version of your songs, if you have explicit lyrics.
NOOO samples. That's even including grabbing drum sounds. Read the fine print on your sample libraries. There's new software that's coming out to identify re uses of stuff. Every drum loop, every waveform.
If you sell a piece of music to a library, don't sell it to someone else. It will limit your ability to get further in the industry if you're known as a person who resells tracks you've already given it exclusively. Choose carefully who you want to work with, but exclusivity is very important.
You want to broaden your clientele. Don't use "Annie" but use "You" or "We" so it could be a he or a she.
Websites to check out:
indiecade.com, Audiogang.org, Heavyhittersmusic.com, 615music.com, Riptidemusic.com, mastersource.com, firstcomemusic, killertracks.com, info@apmmusic.com, we'll get it and react to it.
FutureHit.DNA: The Change in Listening Habits
SPEAKER: Jay Frank
Immediately, Jay shared a vital piece of information: if you don't grab and impress a listener in the first 7 seconds, the chances of success decrease exponentially. He repeated it for effect. As a songwriter, you need to do two things: get your song heard, and cement it with the listener.
Overall the message of this session was that there is a TON of music out there, and nobody could possibly have time to listen to it all. Because of that, you can't construct a song now like you did 10 years ago.
Takeaways:
It takes 5 to 7 listens to like a song. 1st listen is easy. 2nd listen is the hardest part. It's what you need the most if you want this to be a financially supportive career.
Every single play now starts at 0 seconds. People don't come in midway through like they did on radio or MTV. People used to come in through a DJ at 0, but not anymore.
Half the people only hear about 10 seconds, and it's the first 10 seconds. The old adage of don't bore us, get to the chorus is no more true than today.
Music Placement Reality Check: The Truth Behind Getting Your Music Heard (Presented by Variety)
MODERATOR: Steven Gaydos and Michael Frick
PANEL: John Anderson, Gabe McDonough, Tracy McKnight, Dave Stone
McKnight: "It has to say you without you being in the room"
It's important to understand who your audience is. TV, movies and games are all great ways for your music to be heard. Be smart when you send your music. Don't give out a physical CD. Make it online and ready to play.
McDonough: "The economy is actually helping small bands because people are willing to check them out rather than the mainstream bands."
Music supervisors are very powerful people to get music placed in movies, TV shows, and commercials. You have to be aware of the music being played in the shows already in order to direct your music to them.
McKnight: "How to stand out in a crowd? The supervisors are very aware of the music that a series is using so they can push music to the show."
The Art of Collaboration: A Live Songwriting Session
MODERATOR: Jay Sloan
PANEL: Cri$tyle "The Ink" Johnson, James Fauntleroy, Brian "BK" Kennedy, Andre Merritt
It's hard to overstate the importance to collaboration. As creative people, you should be going far out. Then, you need someone else to pull you back in. Some advice: always keep a record of what goes on, because you might forget what you say.
Merritt: "When it comes to songwriting, it's about quality, not quantity."
Kennedy: "Don't stick to one range of music. Branch out."
Merritt: "To deal with writer's block, I'll go driving or play basketball. If you can't write, take a break. Don't work against it."
Johnson: "Sometimes if you start with lyrics it makes it harder for producers to put a beat around it."
Merritt: "When I'm picking a beat, it doesn't matter who will sing it. Everything depends on the beat. I pick tracks based on what I haven't heard yet."
Following Your Muse
MODERATOR: Chris Douridas
PANEL: Mitchell Froom, Jesca Hoop and Greg Kurstin
The spirit of creativity is impaired by repetition, strain and fear. It is passion and newness that spark the muse and there are devices one can adopt to maintain musical freshness. The panelists suggested ways of breaking routine (play with toys in the studio, play new instruments, role play, etc.) and also discussed creativity and external influences, such as A&R and label executives.
Douridas: "Don't push it. Focus on writing great music. The rest will come. The best records, and my favorites are the ones I write for myself. You can't chase radio. You can't chase a hit. You can take all the advice in the world, but its up to your gut. Your own instinct."
Froom: "I try to get artists back to doing their best work and into their most creative place. In general, in music, you follow something. You don't force it. I help (writers) pick the right songs, and then get into the harmonic arrangement. You don't want to force things out of the speakers. You want to follow where the music is going.
Hoop:" If I can sit an feel passionate about what I'm writing about...I can continue. I need to cry about what I'm writing. I need to be excited about it." "You have to be careful about who you bring your music to. You have to pay strict attention to your gut."
Kurstin: "The less I think, the better. It's almost like that childlike thing. It's got nothing to do with being successful. Its about finding beautiful sounds. You need to sometimes step away from it. The more you do it, you develop techniques. I like having toys around in the studio, a weird keyboard. I've always liked toys. They help me get into a creative space. I create noises.
Takeaways:
[Jazz great] Donald Byrd once said, start with the tension. Its a little technique but it frees you up. You need to release and make some noise.
Pay attention to the physical body. If the listener doesn't feel it, its not helping the song. You have to be slow and attentive to your body when you write and arrange a song.
Shall We Dance: Partnering with a Publisher
MODERATOR: Tom Sturges
PANEL: Mike Jackson, Jim Vellutato, Brad Aarons, Donna Caseine, Sam Kling
One tool available to all songwriters is to find the proactive publisher partner who's going to help develop you. The ball starts to roll when a publisher who really understands the philosophy and creativity of a writer can leverage their success.
Takeaways:
Is there a "sound" that certain publishers are looking for? If you're not all over a publisher's website and looking at the kind of stuff they do, that's a bad idea. But any publisher who pigeonholes themselves won't have the same longevity as others.
If you're not great at everything, you don't have to do it all. Collaborations are vitally important. As great as pitching the next great song.
Your first responsibility is to give words to people who don't have them.
A downfall of a writer is when they send in a CD with 27 songs on it. What you have to do is find people around you to bounce your material off, pick the best, write some more. Send one, if it's well received, send one or two more.
Find your strength before you get to the publisher. If you think you can write in all genres, it's not going to work. Figure out what people are most receptive too.
Expanding Career Opportunities for Jazz Musicians
MODERATOR: Pat Prescott
PANEL: Vince Mendoza, Marcus Miller
After introductions, Pat began by asking Vince and Marcus to talk about their backgrounds, careers, and what they've been able to do to get their music out there and get it played. A goal of the session was to talk how to make the money you need to make to live, but still be able to play what you want.
Mendoza: "I grew up listening to the radio. Didn't aspire to be a classical, jazz or pop musician. In school I met musicians and experimented with different techniques...what happens if you put reverb on drums? How do you make a metronome into a click track. I always had my own side projects I was working on. During the week I'd work at my job, but send out demos to try to get into films"
Miller: "I've met 2 types of jazz musicians in my life. One type, jazz is all they do. The other type, they do jazz at night, but during the day they're in the studio playing burger king commercials. I'm more of the 2nd type. Pay the bills with studio things during the day, then you can play whatever you want at night. Jazz and funk were at my core, but I wanted to expose myself to everything New York had to offer. As a studio musician, it was great to have a lot of different experiences, play every style. It was the key to my success"
Takeaways:
Apply for an ASCAP Special Award by June 1st. If you make less than $25,000 a year in domestic royalties, you're eligible. Awards go from $100 to $4000.
Hip Hop: Making it to the Top
MODERATOR: Tremayne Anchrum
PANEL: Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Drumma Boy, Kevin Crowe, Erik Ortiz and Kenny Bartolomei (J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League), Skillz
Drumma Boy: "Get out there and meet people. Be cool with everyone."
Crawford: "Did what I wanted to do. Motivation was doing something, because no one around in small town was doing anything."
J.U.T.I.C.E. League: "Don't be scared to create a whole new sound. Go out of your comfort zone."
Skillz: "Relationships are key. All you need to know is one person."
Takeaways:
Great songs will always change music.
Work with someone who has passion to "spark," makes you want to do music. Some just want to do it for the money or to be up front, you can tell.
Master Session with Richard Marx
MODERATOR: Loretta Munoz
Richard Marx takes nothing for granted and credits the many role models, who to him, are the most gracious people he has ever known. For Richard, writing songs is juts a privilege and he is so happy whenever he hears that him or his music has impacted someone. He strives to be as professional and creative as his father.
Marx: "A day has not gone by where I'm not writing something."
Throughout his music career, getting rejections from companies and products has only made him work harder.
Marx: "The rest of it was great fortune."
The session concluded with Richard performing "Wherever You Go."
Defining Moments
MODERATOR: Marcus Miller
PANEL: Johnny Mandel, David Paich
Marcus sat down with Johnny and David to share anecdotes about their careers and offer bits of advice. Each was able to trace some of their key successes back to the defining moments where they began.
Takeaways:
You've got to find someone to play your music. It doesn't matter how good or bad they are. Otherwise you'll never know what you sound like.
You don't have to have a great voice, you just have to have an interesting voice.
If the demo is bad, nobody will be able to see through it.
If you're a songwriter it would help if you know an instrument. Learn piano, some guitar.
The arrangement is just supposed to support and frame how songs come across. It's very important that the arranger makes sure the key's right for the singer.
The Nikki Jean Project
MODERATOR: Tom DeSavia
PANEL: Jody Gerson, Sam Hollander, Nikki Jean, Paul Williams
This unique panel brought together the team of a legendary songwriter partner, producer, and publisher, all assembled to work with songwriter/performer Nikki Jean.
Nikki: "I was in a band and felt shipwrecked on the urban side of music. Had no outlet for what I wanted to do, which sit at a piano and sing.
Gerson: "It was the perfect project for me, I couldn't be in a more perfect job where I get to work with songwriters. I can take her and match her with these classic songwriters."
Williams: "When we first met, we talked about her life. She treated me like a friend. Honesty and authenticity is key in music."
Gerson: "The idea was to have Nikki work with lots of different writers."
Hollander: "Nikki's a warrior. She drove out here from New York"
Gerson: "Nikki started daily blogs on YouTube"
Nikki: "I started with written words and pictures, then tried a video. The community is amazing. I've met friends through it."
DeSavia: "She had the balls, went to the best writers on the planet."
Takeaways:
If you do nothing else, go on YouTube, and watch her listen to a wonderful record and experience it for the first time in her car.
Generations: Chaka Khan Interviewed by LeToya Luckett
Songwriter, performer and actress LeToya Luckett sat down with legendary performer Chaka Kahn to discuss her career and the music business.
Kahn: "Music is communication. I'm not singing to be judged."
Kahn was the first person to sing with Miles Davis
Kahn "This is hard work. You need to sacrifice life for the microphone."
You should come ready as a package. Sell the packaged deal and make it your own.
Kahn: "I love children, and I want to work with autistic children."
When Demos Turn Into Masters: The Importance and Relevance of Project Studio Recordings (Presented by Cakewalk)
MODERATOR: Jimmy Landry
PANEL: "Spider" Ron Entwistle, Alex Hackford, Gavin Haverstick, Emanuel Kiriakou, Ankur Malhotra, Mark Needham
The current music industry landscape has put much more weight on home and project studio recordings. Computer technology has been revolutionized to the point where an artist can render master quality recordings that can be published, acquired by a label "as is" or integrated into a higher budget project with the help of an established producer. With this in mind, artists need to focus on creating the best work possible, which in turn will open doors and create further opportunity for a promising career. These major label music industry professionals discuss various technical topics as well as music placement, A&R, and how it all ties in to the state of the music industry.
The Art of the Deal
MODERATOR: Leeds Levy
PANEL: Stacy Fass, Peter Himmelman, Janet Billig Rich, Greg Sowders
Leeds and the rest of the panel go through a mock negotiation centered around an artist signing a deal for the first time.
Scenario 1: We have Stacy as a singer songwriter. Her manger, peter financed the CD and a video which got some attetnion on YouTube. The physical CD he financed is not available yet, but as a result of Youtube, Stacy has come to the attention of an indie label that has distribution through a major label.
Takeaways:
Only time to ever accept a small deal up front like this is because the artist really needs the money.
While having a publisher could seem like shackles and draconian, it could also be really great.
Be patient and read Don Passman's "All You Need to Know About the Music Business"
Any promises made, it's important to have them codified in the contract. If they say "I'll get your songs into movies," you want something in the contract says it that doesn't happen, you either get the money in cash, or the money off the recoupable payment.
Publishing Songs in an International Market
MODERATOR: Sean Devine
PANEL: Eric Beall, Barry Coburn, Jeff Franzel, Benjamin Groff
Franzel: "Take the time to travel to different countries to understand the territories. You need to be proactive with your own catalog"
Beall: "Don't take anything for granted. Know the folks in your publishing company. It's about relationships. When someone opens the door, make your own relationships. Don't wait for someone else to keep opening the door."
Groff: "It's a penny business. Don't leave any money on the table. Place wherever you can. All countries have an Idol type show. It's also great that the ASCAP royalties flow back from the other countries."
Franzel: "Had a song that got recorded 3 times internationally but has never been cut in the US. Go shop your songs wherever you can."
Takeaways:
The Japanese market is now bigger than the US market for CD sales.
The world loves US music. Get out there, make relationships with other writers and sub publishers. Other styles may not be popular here anymore, but still have a big following elsewhere.
ASCAP EXPO Mobile App Coverage (Sponsored by ole)
Reporting by David Kornfeld, Sara Saltzman and Laura Candela
Day 2: Friday - April 24, 2009
Here's a recap of the EXPO's concurrent panels held on Friday, April 24, 2009:
Master Session with Ricky Skaggs
MODERATOR: Jim Steinblatt
Ricky Skaggs was welcomed this morning by a warm and receptive audience eager to listen to what the revered bluegrass and country music star had to say about his career and process as a music creator.
What was immediately evident was his strong connection to his musical roots. He spoke fondly and reverently not only about his family's influence as a young man, but also the incredible education he received from the community he was surrounded by while growing up. Ricky dwelled on the importance of sharing and exchanging ideas and information as music creators; to be around other musicians who are better than you; to not be afraid of giving of yourself (your time, your knowledge, your respect) to others. Essentially, that you have to give it away in order to receive it.
The discussion included several stories about his youth; performing with the legend Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. Throughout the conversation you absolutely got a sense of Skaggs' deep respect and appreciation for those who came before him, the "fathers," and how seriously he takes his role as a mentor to the next generation of music creators.
Pop/Rock Song Feedback
MODERATOR: Jennifer Blakeman
PANEL: Ethan Allen, Jake Ottmann, Lindy Robbins, John Rubeli
The panel of four gave overall positive feedback and responses for songwriters and artists. The group was encouraging but still gave honest opinions.
Allen: "Just let your music flow."
Ottmann: "I always love a clever lyric. There always room for absurdness"
Robbins: "Illustrate your story, don't tell it. Songs have different purposes and it's dangerous not to have a hook or something to hold on to, so be obvious."
Rubeli: "I used to think that demos could be bare...it's refreshing for someone to throw out the rule book. If your song has a high word count, your words have to mean something."
Production Music: Placing Your Music in Film, Television, Video Games and Advertising
MODERATOR: Doug Wood
PANEL: Cindy Badell Slaughter, Rich Goldman, Gary Gross, Adam Taylor, Randy Wachtler
Getting your music into TV, films, advertisements and video games takes a certain understanding of how the music will ultimately be used. This session covered the process from all points of view including songwriters, music directors, libraries, and publishers.
Every show has a venue, so writing to that venue is key. But so often the music isn't the star of the scene. When you're composing you want to think the music is the star, but it's not. You shouldn't think of it that way, and it'll help.
Takeaways:
If we ask you what you're good at, don't say everything. We prefer people who have a passion for a style. Need full songs, not just snippets, and enough songs to determine our feelings about your music.
Write a clean version of your songs, if you have explicit lyrics.
NOOO samples. That's even including grabbing drum sounds. Read the fine print on your sample libraries. There's new software that's coming out to identify re uses of stuff. Every drum loop, every waveform.
If you sell a piece of music to a library, don't sell it to someone else. It will limit your ability to get further in the industry if you're known as a person who resells tracks you've already given it exclusively. Choose carefully who you want to work with, but exclusivity is very important.
You want to broaden your clientele. Don't use "Annie" but use "You" or "We" so it could be a he or a she.
Websites to check out:
indiecade.com, Audiogang.org, Heavyhittersmusic.com, 615music.com, Riptidemusic.com, mastersource.com, firstcomemusic, killertracks.com, info@apmmusic.com, we'll get it and react to it.
FutureHit.DNA: The Change in Listening Habits
SPEAKER: Jay Frank
Immediately, Jay shared a vital piece of information: if you don't grab and impress a listener in the first 7 seconds, the chances of success decrease exponentially. He repeated it for effect. As a songwriter, you need to do two things: get your song heard, and cement it with the listener.
Overall the message of this session was that there is a TON of music out there, and nobody could possibly have time to listen to it all. Because of that, you can't construct a song now like you did 10 years ago.
Takeaways:
It takes 5 to 7 listens to like a song. 1st listen is easy. 2nd listen is the hardest part. It's what you need the most if you want this to be a financially supportive career.
Every single play now starts at 0 seconds. People don't come in midway through like they did on radio or MTV. People used to come in through a DJ at 0, but not anymore.
Half the people only hear about 10 seconds, and it's the first 10 seconds. The old adage of don't bore us, get to the chorus is no more true than today.
Music Placement Reality Check: The Truth Behind Getting Your Music Heard (Presented by Variety)
MODERATOR: Steven Gaydos and Michael Frick
PANEL: John Anderson, Gabe McDonough, Tracy McKnight, Dave Stone
McKnight: "It has to say you without you being in the room"
It's important to understand who your audience is. TV, movies and games are all great ways for your music to be heard. Be smart when you send your music. Don't give out a physical CD. Make it online and ready to play.
McDonough: "The economy is actually helping small bands because people are willing to check them out rather than the mainstream bands."
Music supervisors are very powerful people to get music placed in movies, TV shows, and commercials. You have to be aware of the music being played in the shows already in order to direct your music to them.
McKnight: "How to stand out in a crowd? The supervisors are very aware of the music that a series is using so they can push music to the show."
The Art of Collaboration: A Live Songwriting Session
MODERATOR: Jay Sloan
PANEL: Cri$tyle "The Ink" Johnson, James Fauntleroy, Brian "BK" Kennedy, Andre Merritt
It's hard to overstate the importance to collaboration. As creative people, you should be going far out. Then, you need someone else to pull you back in. Some advice: always keep a record of what goes on, because you might forget what you say.
Merritt: "When it comes to songwriting, it's about quality, not quantity."
Kennedy: "Don't stick to one range of music. Branch out."
Merritt: "To deal with writer's block, I'll go driving or play basketball. If you can't write, take a break. Don't work against it."
Johnson: "Sometimes if you start with lyrics it makes it harder for producers to put a beat around it."
Merritt: "When I'm picking a beat, it doesn't matter who will sing it. Everything depends on the beat. I pick tracks based on what I haven't heard yet."
Following Your Muse
MODERATOR: Chris Douridas
PANEL: Mitchell Froom, Jesca Hoop and Greg Kurstin
The spirit of creativity is impaired by repetition, strain and fear. It is passion and newness that spark the muse and there are devices one can adopt to maintain musical freshness. The panelists suggested ways of breaking routine (play with toys in the studio, play new instruments, role play, etc.) and also discussed creativity and external influences, such as A&R and label executives.
Douridas: "Don't push it. Focus on writing great music. The rest will come. The best records, and my favorites are the ones I write for myself. You can't chase radio. You can't chase a hit. You can take all the advice in the world, but its up to your gut. Your own instinct."
Froom: "I try to get artists back to doing their best work and into their most creative place. In general, in music, you follow something. You don't force it. I help (writers) pick the right songs, and then get into the harmonic arrangement. You don't want to force things out of the speakers. You want to follow where the music is going.
Hoop:" If I can sit an feel passionate about what I'm writing about...I can continue. I need to cry about what I'm writing. I need to be excited about it." "You have to be careful about who you bring your music to. You have to pay strict attention to your gut."
Kurstin: "The less I think, the better. It's almost like that childlike thing. It's got nothing to do with being successful. Its about finding beautiful sounds. You need to sometimes step away from it. The more you do it, you develop techniques. I like having toys around in the studio, a weird keyboard. I've always liked toys. They help me get into a creative space. I create noises.
Takeaways:
[Jazz great] Donald Byrd once said, start with the tension. Its a little technique but it frees you up. You need to release and make some noise.
Pay attention to the physical body. If the listener doesn't feel it, its not helping the song. You have to be slow and attentive to your body when you write and arrange a song.
Shall We Dance: Partnering with a Publisher
MODERATOR: Tom Sturges
PANEL: Mike Jackson, Jim Vellutato, Brad Aarons, Donna Caseine, Sam Kling
One tool available to all songwriters is to find the proactive publisher partner who's going to help develop you. The ball starts to roll when a publisher who really understands the philosophy and creativity of a writer can leverage their success.
Takeaways:
Is there a "sound" that certain publishers are looking for? If you're not all over a publisher's website and looking at the kind of stuff they do, that's a bad idea. But any publisher who pigeonholes themselves won't have the same longevity as others.
If you're not great at everything, you don't have to do it all. Collaborations are vitally important. As great as pitching the next great song.
Your first responsibility is to give words to people who don't have them.
A downfall of a writer is when they send in a CD with 27 songs on it. What you have to do is find people around you to bounce your material off, pick the best, write some more. Send one, if it's well received, send one or two more.
Find your strength before you get to the publisher. If you think you can write in all genres, it's not going to work. Figure out what people are most receptive too.
Expanding Career Opportunities for Jazz Musicians
MODERATOR: Pat Prescott
PANEL: Vince Mendoza, Marcus Miller
After introductions, Pat began by asking Vince and Marcus to talk about their backgrounds, careers, and what they've been able to do to get their music out there and get it played. A goal of the session was to talk how to make the money you need to make to live, but still be able to play what you want.
Mendoza: "I grew up listening to the radio. Didn't aspire to be a classical, jazz or pop musician. In school I met musicians and experimented with different techniques...what happens if you put reverb on drums? How do you make a metronome into a click track. I always had my own side projects I was working on. During the week I'd work at my job, but send out demos to try to get into films"
Miller: "I've met 2 types of jazz musicians in my life. One type, jazz is all they do. The other type, they do jazz at night, but during the day they're in the studio playing burger king commercials. I'm more of the 2nd type. Pay the bills with studio things during the day, then you can play whatever you want at night. Jazz and funk were at my core, but I wanted to expose myself to everything New York had to offer. As a studio musician, it was great to have a lot of different experiences, play every style. It was the key to my success"
Takeaways:
Apply for an ASCAP Special Award by June 1st. If you make less than $25,000 a year in domestic royalties, you're eligible. Awards go from $100 to $4000.
Hip Hop: Making it to the Top
MODERATOR: Tremayne Anchrum
PANEL: Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Drumma Boy, Kevin Crowe, Erik Ortiz and Kenny Bartolomei (J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League), Skillz
Drumma Boy: "Get out there and meet people. Be cool with everyone."
Crawford: "Did what I wanted to do. Motivation was doing something, because no one around in small town was doing anything."
J.U.T.I.C.E. League: "Don't be scared to create a whole new sound. Go out of your comfort zone."
Skillz: "Relationships are key. All you need to know is one person."
Takeaways:
Great songs will always change music.
Work with someone who has passion to "spark," makes you want to do music. Some just want to do it for the money or to be up front, you can tell.
Master Session with Richard Marx
MODERATOR: Loretta Munoz
Richard Marx takes nothing for granted and credits the many role models, who to him, are the most gracious people he has ever known. For Richard, writing songs is juts a privilege and he is so happy whenever he hears that him or his music has impacted someone. He strives to be as professional and creative as his father.
Marx: "A day has not gone by where I'm not writing something."
Throughout his music career, getting rejections from companies and products has only made him work harder.
Marx: "The rest of it was great fortune."
The session concluded with Richard performing "Wherever You Go."
Defining Moments
MODERATOR: Marcus Miller
PANEL: Johnny Mandel, David Paich
Marcus sat down with Johnny and David to share anecdotes about their careers and offer bits of advice. Each was able to trace some of their key successes back to the defining moments where they began.
Takeaways:
You've got to find someone to play your music. It doesn't matter how good or bad they are. Otherwise you'll never know what you sound like.
You don't have to have a great voice, you just have to have an interesting voice.
If the demo is bad, nobody will be able to see through it.
If you're a songwriter it would help if you know an instrument. Learn piano, some guitar.
The arrangement is just supposed to support and frame how songs come across. It's very important that the arranger makes sure the key's right for the singer.
The Nikki Jean Project
MODERATOR: Tom DeSavia
PANEL: Jody Gerson, Sam Hollander, Nikki Jean, Paul Williams
This unique panel brought together the team of a legendary songwriter partner, producer, and publisher, all assembled to work with songwriter/performer Nikki Jean.
Nikki: "I was in a band and felt shipwrecked on the urban side of music. Had no outlet for what I wanted to do, which sit at a piano and sing.
Gerson: "It was the perfect project for me, I couldn't be in a more perfect job where I get to work with songwriters. I can take her and match her with these classic songwriters."
Williams: "When we first met, we talked about her life. She treated me like a friend. Honesty and authenticity is key in music."
Gerson: "The idea was to have Nikki work with lots of different writers."
Hollander: "Nikki's a warrior. She drove out here from New York"
Gerson: "Nikki started daily blogs on YouTube"
Nikki: "I started with written words and pictures, then tried a video. The community is amazing. I've met friends through it."
DeSavia: "She had the balls, went to the best writers on the planet."
Takeaways:
If you do nothing else, go on YouTube, and watch her listen to a wonderful record and experience it for the first time in her car.
Generations: Chaka Khan Interviewed by LeToya Luckett
Songwriter, performer and actress LeToya Luckett sat down with legendary performer Chaka Kahn to discuss her career and the music business.
Kahn: "Music is communication. I'm not singing to be judged."
Kahn was the first person to sing with Miles Davis
Kahn "This is hard work. You need to sacrifice life for the microphone."
You should come ready as a package. Sell the packaged deal and make it your own.
Kahn: "I love children, and I want to work with autistic children."
When Demos Turn Into Masters: The Importance and Relevance of Project Studio Recordings (Presented by Cakewalk)
MODERATOR: Jimmy Landry
PANEL: "Spider" Ron Entwistle, Alex Hackford, Gavin Haverstick, Emanuel Kiriakou, Ankur Malhotra, Mark Needham
The current music industry landscape has put much more weight on home and project studio recordings. Computer technology has been revolutionized to the point where an artist can render master quality recordings that can be published, acquired by a label "as is" or integrated into a higher budget project with the help of an established producer. With this in mind, artists need to focus on creating the best work possible, which in turn will open doors and create further opportunity for a promising career. These major label music industry professionals discuss various technical topics as well as music placement, A&R, and how it all ties in to the state of the music industry.
The Art of the Deal
MODERATOR: Leeds Levy
PANEL: Stacy Fass, Peter Himmelman, Janet Billig Rich, Greg Sowders
Leeds and the rest of the panel go through a mock negotiation centered around an artist signing a deal for the first time.
Scenario 1: We have Stacy as a singer songwriter. Her manger, peter financed the CD and a video which got some attetnion on YouTube. The physical CD he financed is not available yet, but as a result of Youtube, Stacy has come to the attention of an indie label that has distribution through a major label.
Takeaways:
Only time to ever accept a small deal up front like this is because the artist really needs the money.
While having a publisher could seem like shackles and draconian, it could also be really great.
Be patient and read Don Passman's "All You Need to Know About the Music Business"
Any promises made, it's important to have them codified in the contract. If they say "I'll get your songs into movies," you want something in the contract says it that doesn't happen, you either get the money in cash, or the money off the recoupable payment.
Publishing Songs in an International Market
MODERATOR: Sean Devine
PANEL: Eric Beall, Barry Coburn, Jeff Franzel, Benjamin Groff
Franzel: "Take the time to travel to different countries to understand the territories. You need to be proactive with your own catalog"
Beall: "Don't take anything for granted. Know the folks in your publishing company. It's about relationships. When someone opens the door, make your own relationships. Don't wait for someone else to keep opening the door."
Groff: "It's a penny business. Don't leave any money on the table. Place wherever you can. All countries have an Idol type show. It's also great that the ASCAP royalties flow back from the other countries."
Franzel: "Had a song that got recorded 3 times internationally but has never been cut in the US. Go shop your songs wherever you can."
Takeaways:
The Japanese market is now bigger than the US market for CD sales.
The world loves US music. Get out there, make relationships with other writers and sub publishers. Other styles may not be popular here anymore, but still have a big following elsewhere.
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