Inside The Music Biz

Each year, like moths drawn to a flame, many people, young and old, embark on a career in the Music/Entertainment industry. Coming from every imaginable walk of life--student, housewife, lawyer,assembly-line worker, doctor, painter, butcher, baker, candle-stick maker--these folks decide that NOW is the time to pursue their dreams in one of the three areas the industry is roughly divided into: Artistic, Administrative, or Technical. Encouraged by family, friends, and co-workers, they summon the courage to enter into this fast-paced world. Many, however, depart the industry just as quickly as they entered as their dreams of stardom come crashing and burning to the ground. With their ambitions,desires, dreams, and wishes handed back to them in such an ignoble--and sometimes embarrassing--fashion, many give up their quest entirely and choose to settle back into the normal life they dared to venture from, thereafter always wondering what could have been. The surprising thing about this scenario is that it doesn't always have to end this way.

For every artist who has succeeded like Babyface, Beyonce, Kem, Nelly Furtado, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, The Dixie Chicks, Ludacris, Bow Wow, 112, or Evanescence; for every administrator who has succeeded like Russell Simmons, Clive Davis, Kedar Massenburg; Master P, Rick Rubin, Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, Jr., Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, or Kenneth Edmonds; for every technician who has succeeded like Bruce Swedien. Barney Perkins, Steve Lilliywhite, Bob Dennis, or Greg Reilly, there are literally thousands upon thousands of others who have failed. Some of those who have failed could even rightfully say that they had more talent than those just mentioned.

So why did they fail?

The answer to that question is simple. And complex. And unanswerable as well! The Music/Entertainment industry is unlike any other industry in the world. If a person, for instance, wanted to become a doctor or lawyer, a certain course of study and training would be engaged, that, when successfully completed, would almost certainly lead them to their goal. With the Music/Entertainment industry, there is no one set way to succeed. There are as many avenues for entry as there are people clamoring for the positions.Most musicians, for example, started out by playing either in a basement or garage setting, or as a hobby learned from Band classes in elementary or high school . From there, they acquired a passion which drove them to practice for endless hours, to meet and join with others with a similar mindset, and then, thinking even more seriously about their craft, they decided to go "pro" by getting that first gig at a local bar or in recording and releasing their first record. From there the variables of success got even more tenuous.

Once that artist or band decided to become a professional, so many factors never before encountered began to surface: the business organization of the band (partnership or corporation?); what is a manager for, what does he do, do they need one, and how does one find one?; when should they hire a lawyer?; how can they make their first record? what is "publishing" ? who among the band owns the name if they break up?; how are songwriting credits divided? what taxes are due at the local, state and federal levels? can they claim the groupies as dependents? (just kidding!); are the studio musicians entitled to songwriting credits?; how does the band adequately prepare for a road tour?, and many,many, MANY other questions.

Even those attempting to work in the industry on the technical side (engineer, sound designer, computer technician, equipment designer, etc) or administrative end (manager, studio owner, agent, lawyer. label owner) face questions and obstacles they probably never considered: what are the requirements for becoming a manager?; finding clients?; how is marketing and promotion handled effectively for a label?; which equipment is best suited for an analog studio?; for a digital studio? what are the legal ramifications of setting up a label in cyber space? does ASCAP and BMI regulate downloads on the internet? if so, how?; what legal safeguards are needed to collaborate with a partner on a song?; in a co-management venture?; how much control should an investor wield in an album project for a band?; what is considered adequate "points" for a producer on an album? how does one sample a song legally?; should studio equipment be leased or owned outright?

Total Immersion Approach

Those in the industry who have succeeded did so by learning all they could about their craft, honing their skills until near-perfection was reached. Moreover, they learned all that they could about the inter-related positions and functions in the industry to stay competitive, relevant and fresh. For example, i f a guitarist were to learn all that he could about his instrument including studying those guitarists he admires, learn all the scales to practice, the various tuning and stringing arrangements, as well as how to affect repairs and maintenance, that would only be adequate. For him to take his craft to the next level, he would have to know how sonically the guitar fit into the overall musical family, from arrangement and orchestration modes, to textural compatibility with other instruments. Taking his craft even further, he would then study how the production and arranging of the various compositions he plays were done, eventually taking on the task of conducting, producing and arranging his own sessions. As one added step, he would go to his local library or bookstore and read up on other facets of the business, including biographies of industry personnel, and business practices relevant to his interests.

This method, which I label the Total Immersion Approach, is one that everyone in the Music/Entertainment business, no matter their position, should adopt. Each and every attempt at learning as much as possible about your craft, skill, trade, or position--and everything even remotely associated with it--increases your odds exponentially for success. If one were to read the biographies of some of those artists, technicians and administrators mentioned above, one common trait they all would posses is that they were extremely versatile in their approach to their respective fields. Quincy Jones, for instance, was a celebrated jazz trumpet player in his teen years, traveling around the country withRay Charles and his orchestra. He used this background to become an arranger; artist & repertoire head at Mercury records; Emmy-winning composer; motion picture composer/arranger; publisher; multiple Grammy-winning producer; and media mogul, with TV magazine, and film productions to his credit. When rap music began in the late 70's, Jones was one of the first of his generation of musicians to recognize its link with the Jazz tradition he had spent a lifetime in. After nearly 50 years, Jones is still considered a force in the music industry due to his willingness to embrace new styles, new directions, new modes of thinking, and new techniques. For this reason, many musicians today look to Jones as a "godfather", one whose advice is held in high esteem. Jones learned early to elevate his level of the game by learning all he could about as much as the business as possible.

This Total Immersion Approach is not meant to imply that one needs to handle EVERY function of the Music/Entertainment business, but rather to assert that one should at least know what the other functions are and how they relate to a given position, and most importantly, how they would affect someone's career. Everyone reading this has heard horror stories of how a naive band or artist was grossly exploited by their
manager/agent/record company and left penniless and their career in ruins. If that band or artist had had adequate knowledge of how a manager/agent/record company is supposed to function, the chances of their being used and abused in such a fashion would have decreased significantly. Knowledge of the business is essential for adequate growth, viability, and SUCCESS. This fact cannot be emphasized enough.

For those of you about to embark on a career in this wonderful world of music, please take the time NOW to assess whether or not the capacity to handle all the requirements listed above is in you. Please find out before you have wasted a great deal of time, money, talent, patience, and tears. Please reflect on the real reasons you want to become part of this business (fame? fortune? art?) , and why this field--and no other--could meet that need. Take time now to examine your strengths and weaknesses and ask yourself how much are you willing to endure and for how long. Ask yourself would you be willing to persevere until your goal is met, despite the criticisms, setbacks, defeats, disappointments, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds that will accompany your quest. Consider also whether this dream of a career and the dedication it requires is worth the strain on family and social relationships it most certainly will bring. If all of these factors have not deterred you and you are now more dogged and determined than ever, knowing that "success" comes before "work" only in the dictionary, then let me be the first to welcome you to the first day of the rest of your career.