Question:

**What year was the war of 1812 fought?

**How many members are in the Four Tops?

**How many ounces are in a 32-ounce Big Gulp?

**What time should a musician/producer/engineer arrive at a session with a 7:00PM call time?

It may seem that these questions have incredibly obvious answers, but the truth is that of the four listed above many in the music business feel that the question regarding time is answered by “whenever”.

The music industry is a business. Point blank. End of discussion. Period. As a business, it operates according to rules, functions, obligations, characteristics, and designs which are unique, particular and peculiar to the world of entertainment.

But it is STILL a business!

I have been in the entertainment industry since October of 1979, starting first with radio, then working live sound at area clubs and concert venues in the Detroit area, and traveling around the country to do the same with several major acts, to eventually becoming a studio engineer and video producer. With each of these situations, I always strived to maintain a sense and standard of excellence. In keeping such standards, my first and foremost objective was to show my clients I valued their time by showing up punctually when expected. This habit of adhering to set meeting times was something that would work in my favor, especially when I began working in video productions.

In video, time is broken down into increment of hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. It is a very precise medium, one in which a time delay would be very noticeable. If for, example, you are cutting a video and it runs too short, there will be “dead” air following it after it is broadcast; if it is too long, the video will be cut to make way for the program or commercial which would normally follow it. Neither option is acceptable and looks very unprofessional.

A lot of people involved with music—either as musicians, support personnel, managers, etc—take for granted its easy-going atmosphere and develop an almost callous disregard for punctuality. I have been in situations where events started up to two hours late because the necessary people to begin the event were not available. Not only did these tardy people disregard the work they were to do or perform, they totally disregarded the people at the event who may have had other plan later, plans which now had to be delayed or cancelled.

Few things irritate me more than having a scheduled session, meeting, or production jeopardized or cancelled because someone who was supposed to be there at 8:00AM decided the time meant "8-ish" and showed up at 8:45A. In TV productions I have been on I have witnessed musicians who were explicitly told by the producers that they only had a three hour block of time to work with due to scheduling demands and therefore to show up as early as possible, still show up nearly two hours late.

This is not the way to endear one's self to the industry and in fact will hasten one's departure from it.

Being late and irresponsible with time--especially someone else's--is very unprofessional. Taking such a lackadaisical approach to handling the business of music is as "bass-ackwards" as it gets, for careers in this industry are built not only on talent but on reputations as well. If a person gets labeled as being unprofessional and hard to work with because of sloppy work habits, the word gets around quickly. This is not to say, however, that only 100% punctuality is acceptable; life happens, and all the quirks and inconveniences that come with it makes it where sometimes being late is unavoidable. But when the situation develops into a routine ... that is where the trouble starts.

Develop habits which will ensure a long-lasting and very rewarding career. Take the business end of music as serious as you do your art or skill. Nothing but the best should be the guiding principle of your efforts.

Now is the Time!