(Excerpted from Personal Finance For Musicians with permission of Rowman & Littlefield)

Invest! Invest! Invest! It’s time for musicians to make money and get rich quick. After all, the pandemic of 2020 still has everyone in a hole and nothing could be better than striking it big! Right? 

Perhaps! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The road to true wealth (measured in assets and liabilities) is a long process. It involves several steps you must check-off before grabbing your mobile phone and the latest investment app to try your luck. Read: Investing is not a game!

What follows is our 7-point checklist to responsible investing and building wealth. We start at the beginning with creating a steady flow of income all the way to playing with funny money if you must. Have patience—at times the process might seem boring and include advice you’ve already heard, but investing was never meant to be fun or sexy when done right. 

NOTE: The seven steps presented here are in a systematic order, but depending on your situation, feel free to skip straight to investing or tackle two or more steps simultaneously. Just be sure to speak with a financial planner to make sure that your path to success is right for you. 

1 CREATE AND MAINTAIN A STEADY FLOW OF INCOME

The first step to investing and building wealth is creating and maintaining a flow of income.

If you are a musician earning zero income or just living from one gig to the next, you are never going to get anywhere unless you turn on the money faucet. This could mean getting more music gigs, utilizing freelance methods, or getting a “real” job! Let’s consider these options: 

Get More Music Gigs: Always attempt to use your musical talents for work first. For me (Bobby speaking), I offered drum lessons in the house that I was renting with roommates. With a little advertising, I had 30 students at $30 an hour. On top of that, I got a house gig with a soul band at $225 a week for three nights a week. Furthermore, I played weddings with the teachers at Berklee College of Music on the weekends at $300 a pop. If I could earn 5k out of school, so can you. 

Utilize “Regular” Freelance Methods: If music gigs are not an option, go with all of the available “regular” freelance methods to make money. One musician we know drives for Uber, Postmates and Instacart and brings in several thousands of dollars per week (all without missing a single band rehearsal or evening gig). This guy even showcases his music to his Uber customers to get feedback while he works! In one instance, he even picked up a famous record producer which led to a studio session.

Get a “Real” Job: Finally, if none of the above situations work for you, go for a steady day or night gig. We suggest you find something that is connected in some way to your ultimate dream of music. One musician we know got a steady gig working as a salesperson at Guitar Center. Not only did he make steady money, he promoted his gigs to customers to increase his concert draw, and networked with equipment reps to secure endorsement deals. He killed two birds with one stone.

Look gang, whatever route you take, just remember that the road to investing and building wealth starts with your own ability to generate income. While this might sound like common sense, you’d be surprised at the number of musicians who still sleep on their friend’s couches penniless waiting to get discovered on TikTok. While people do get lucky, don’t bet everything on number 7. So, roll up your sleeves, be strong, and put your human capital to work.

2 CREATE AND LIVE

BY A BUDGET

Okay, so now that you have a steady flow of money coming in, it’s time to create and live by a budget. Remember, it’s not how much you make, it’s how you manage your money that counts. Follow these three steps: 

Set a Savings Goal: Create a monthly objective setting forth a percentage of your take-home pay that you’d like to save each month. To illustrate, if your take-home pay was 5k a month, your objective might be to save 10 percent (or $500). 

List Expenses: Now list all of your expenses showing how you’ll cleverly use that 5k to meet your savings goal of $500. Know that fixed expenses like rent will be easy, but other expenses like groceries will require you making an educated estimate based on what you spent in prior months. And finally…

Track Expenditures: Track all of your expenditures throughout the month by counting receipts. If you stay on budget, then bravo for you. If there are overages, then readjust your budget and try again. Eventually, you’ll find a plan that works for you. And best yet, you’ll have that 10 percent surplus of money you were shooting for. 

While creating a budget might seem like a lot of work, remember that it really is the hallmark to getting your financial shit together. And like everything else in life, the more you use a budget, the easier it will get. So, take our word for it gang, live and die by a budget! 

3 PAY OFF DEBT AND ESTABLISHSTRONG CREDIT

Now that you have a surplus of monthly cash, put it to good use by knocking out your debt. 

For most musicians, debt will probably be limited to credit cards, school loans, and an automobile. Whatever the case, just know that there are number of strategies to get debt-free. Consider the following: 

Use the Debt Avalanche: Use the “debt avalanche” strategy to double-down consistently on your “highest interest loan” while at least paying all your minimum balances on your other loans. Once paid off, take the amount of money you allocated for the highest interest loan and add it to the minimum payments on the next highest interest loan, and so on, until you no longer have debt. 

Use the Debt Snowball: Alternately, you can use the “debt snowball” strategy to double-down on your “smallest balance loan” while paying at least all your minimum balances on your other loans. Once paid off, take the amount of money you allocated for the smallest balance loan and add it to the minimum payments on the next smallest balance loan, until you no longer have debt. 

Look peeps, the bottom line is that paying off debt means ridding yourself of wasteful interest payments. Furthermore, it means building your credit for important loans down the road, and saving a little money that you can use for a rainy day. 

4 ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY FUND

After digging yourself out of debt (congratulations), the next step in our 7-step process to investing and building wealth is using that surplus money to establish an emergency fund. This is money you amass for life’s unexpected moments when all things go south. Consider the following:

Save For Six Months to a Year: Attempt to save at least six months worth of living expenses. I (this Bobby) personally feel more comfortable with one year of living expenses. I was injured in an accident (struck by a truck) and it took longer than a couple of months to heal. On top of that, it took a couple more months to reestablish work. So, whether it’s six months or a year, just build up that freakin’ fund ya’ll. 

Keep It Liquid, But Let It Grow: Keep your emergency fund in a safe place where it is liquid (immediately available) and growing in interest. Consider a savings account with an online bank, a money market account with a local bank, or a short-term bond fund via a brokerage company like Vanguard. Where ever you park your money, just remember you’ll need access to your “cash in a flash” when the “shit hits the fan.” So, never tie this money down in stocks or long-term CDs or bonds. And finally…

 Keep It Fully-Funded: Remember that should you ever use your emergency fund, you need to refund it. Be clear that the plan is to be fully-funded and ready for any emergency for the rest of your life. Okay? Good job! Now. Let’s move on.

5 START SAVING FOR RETIREMENT

Now that you have a job, a budget, no debt and an emergency fund, we can begin thinking about shifting all your surplus money into retirement accounts. Make no mistake, retirement (or retirement planning) is not just for old folks, it starts as early as 20 years old and lasts a lifetime. Be sure to consider the following: 

Take Advantage of Employer-Based 401Ks: Start by taking advantage of “tax-advantaged” accounts such as a 401K offered by your employer. This allows a payroll administer to direct a portion of your pre-tax income directly into an interest earning account to grow and be taxed upon withdrawal in retirement. You can contribute as much as $20,500 a year if you’re younger than age 50, and $27,000 annually if you’re 50 or older. And if your boss is really cool, they’ll even match additional funds up to a percentage of your contribution (yup, free bonus money). Hey, this is the best deal in town. 

Open Up An Individual Retirement Account: Now, if you don’t have access to a 401K, open up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) on your own. A Traditional IRA allows you to personally invest “pre-tax” dollars to grow and be taxed upon withdrawal in retirement. You can contribute as much as $6,000 if you’re younger than age 50, and $7,000 when you’re age 50 or above. There’s also a Roth version of this plan (Roth IRA) where you can personally invest “after-tax” dollars to grow and be withdrawn tax free at retirement. All good stuff! 

Look, no matter which retirement accounts you use, just be clear that Uncle Sam makes it easy for you to save for your retirement and avoid thousands in taxes over your lifetime. While doing this, you can still utilize other non-retirement accounts (called “taxable accounts”) for short-term objectives (like buying a house) or even long-term investments (like extra retirement income). But just be clear that maxing-out your tax-advantaged retirement accounts first is always a good idea. Seriously! Retirement is an investor’s biggest priority. And don’t forget it! 

6 INVEST RESPONSIBLY 

After completing all six steps of our 7-step process to investing and building wealth, you can now consider yourself a financial rock star. So, go ahead, take a bow, you’ve come a long way. 

But now you need to really focus on the principles of investing responsibly. After all, it’s not enough to just throw your hard-earned money in tax-advantaged (and taxable accounts) and just hope for success. Hope is never a long-term and sustainable financial strategy. Believe that! Consider the following nuggets of wisdom: 

Always Set Investment Goals: Setting goals, or more specifically, the time horizon of each goal, is critical to investing responsibly. You see, it’s time that typically determines the type of investment vehicle that you will use. As a general rule, the longer the time horizon for your goals, the riskier and more rewarding the investment (such as stocks). The shorter the time-horizon for your goals, the more conservative and less rewarding the investment (such as short-term bonds). This is generally because a long-term investment strategy can better hedge against the associated risks of market swings or downturns. To illustrate, a long-term goal of saving x dollars for retirement in 50 years, would typically mean utilizing a large variety of stocks. A mid-term goal of saving x dollars for a modest house in 10 years, might mean utilizing a mix of stocks and bonds. And a short-term goal of saving x dollars for a modest car in three years, might be to use short-term bonds, bank CDs, or money market funds. So always remember, goals and their time-horizons heavily influence your investment decisions.

 Know Your Risk-tolerance: Knowing your risk tolerance and the amount of money that you are comfortable with potentially losing, is also important to investing responsibly. Or said another way, knowing your allocation of stocks to bonds is critical to your investment success. Remember that stocks (which are highly volatile) and bonds (which are less volatile) are not widely correlated and can help to balance out your portfolio over your life-time. The legendary Jack Bogle (Vanguard’s founder) says, “Put your age in bonds and the rest in stocks.” So, if you are a 20-year-old musician saving for retirement, you might put 80 percent into stocks and 20 percent into bonds. At age 40, your portfolio might hold 60 percent into stocks and 40 percent in bonds. And at age 70, your portfolio might hold 30 percent in stocks and 70 percent in bonds. You get the point—your investments become less risky as time progresses. So, knowing your risk tolerance and getting your stock to bond ratio right is important to both building and preserving your wealth. Take this tip very seriously. 

Diversify Your Portfolio: Diversifying your portfolio is yet another extremely important tip to investing responsibly. This essentially means that rather than trying to find a needle in the 

 haystack (i.e., picking the winning stock), you buy the whole freakin haystack. This means buying investments such as index mutual funds that cover a number of different companies, sectors and geographical regions. To illustrate, a 30 year-old investor might purchase a 70/30 (stock to bond) risk allocation including: Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund (which contains 4,070 companies in technology, consumer discretionary products and financials all over the U.S.); Vanguards Total International Stock Market Fund (which contains 7,754 companies in consumer cyclicals, financial services, and healthcare all over Europe, the Pacific and emerging markets); and Vanguard’s Total Bond Market Index (which contains 10,127 investment-grade bonds in US treasuries, and mortgage-backed securities all over the U.S.). As you can see, index funds are very diversified and can prevent you from putting all of your eggs in one basket. This way you win some and lose some, rather than lose everything on a one-horse bet. 

Avoid Management Costs: Keeping costs low is also extremely important to investing responsibly—and this is where the news is really going to get great. Not only are index funds (just mentioned above) a highly diversified investment, they can also be one of the lowest-cost investments. This is because index funds track a stock market index and do not require the more expensive “active management” associated with other types of mutual funds and individual stocks. Since the fund essentially mirrors a section of the stock market, tracking its performance is much easier and less time consuming. It does not require the daily management of numerous stock transactions attempting to beat the market returns. This is why time and time again, expert investors such as Warren Buffet have strongly recommended index funds. So, if you’re smart, this just might be a great move for you too.

Aim to Beat Inflation: Another super important tip to consider when talking about investing responsibly, is the risk of inflation on your investments. Inflation (an increase in prices and decrease in the power of money), has averaged at about three percent over the last decade. This essentially means—in this example—that your investments must earn three percent in annual interest to keep up with the pace of inflation. If your money is sitting in the bank earning an annual interest rate of .01 percent, you’re screwed. Thus, your best chance of beating inflation is probably going through an investment vehicle like our trusted Vanguard stock mutual index fund. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, stocks have historically provided higher returns than other asset classes. This, coupled with the low costs associated with passively-managed index funds, will likely help you net the decent annual returns on your investments you need to succeed. Just, remember, inflation is critical to watch. 

Aim to Lower Taxes: Dovetailing nicely from inflation costs, taxation also poses serious costs on investment returns. According to the Schwab Center for Financial Research, this is because you not only lose the money you pay in taxes, but you also lose the growth that money could have generated if it were invested. 

 This is why it is so important that you employ as many tax-efficient investment strategies as possible. Here’s just three to think about: 

1) Max out your “tax-advantaged” retirement accounts (401Ks, Roth IRAs, Traditional IRAs, etc.) each year since these accounts are almost like free gifts the government provides to help you save on taxes. 

2) Invest wisely in your other “taxable accounts” by using long-term buy-and-hold strategies that won’t trigger regular short-term capital gains taxes (which are higher taxes incurred from selling your investments in under a year). And finally, 

3) Delay a portion of any lump sum payment you might be owed (like a large publishing or merchandising advance) till next tax year. This way you might avoid falling into a higher tax bracket and paying more income tax in the current year. Sounds good? Look gang, whatever strategies you use, just never pay more in taxes than you need to. Avoid taxes legally when you can.

Avoid the Noise and Stay The Course: Finally getting to the end of our investment tips, know that avoiding all the financial noise in the media and just staying the course is hugely important to investing responsibly. There are so many experts filling you up with supposed opportunities and gloom and doom, it’s enough to make you bail ship on your financial plan in search of a better solution. But if you’re constantly buying in and out of the market due to greed and fear, you are doing yourself a major disservice. You are allowing your emotions to get the best of you, costing yourself time and money, and creating a lot of stress and worry. So, stop looking at your investments every minute and have faith in long-term investing. Sure, the movements of the stock market are always going to fluctuate on the short-term, but know that the market tends to rise steadily over the years. In fact, since 1928, the U.S. stock market has averaged returns of 9.8 percent per year. So, go live your lives a little. Write that new hit song that brings in hundreds of thousands and go get that publishing deal. Have faith that you put together a killer financial plan, and stand by it. Know that staying the course is a sound piece of advice. It’s also the famous slogan of Vanguard’s founder Jack Bogle (who actually created the Index Fund). Wow! Godspeed! 

7 PLAY WITH FUNNY MONEY (ONLY IF YOU MUST)

Finally, moving away from our perspective on investing responsibly, it’s time to play with “funny money,” if you must. 

Funny money is money you can afford to lose. It’s the money where you can be highly speculative, throw down on a crypto stock pick that some guru mentions in a Facebook group, or invest in a buddies’ restaurant. Who knows, you might even get super rich and finally get that mansion, yacht, and lime green Lambo, It doesn’t matter if you lose it because it’s all about having a little fun. After all, you deserve it. You’ve busted your ass, followed our advice, and have the above six steps completely under your control. Hey, whatever makes you happy! 

But before running off to the race track, it’s important to look back on the past. Throughout history, people have always been trying to get rich quick. There was the gold rush of 1848 where everyone got greedy thinking they were going to strike gold (most didn’t); there was the dot com craze in 2000 where everyone got greedy thinking they were going to strike it rich (most didn’t); and now there is the crypto thing where people want to get a taste of the millionaire dream (and many have already lost their asses

Look, if you want to play with “extra” money, have fun! But always be realistic about the odds and never let “playing” get out of control. Adhere to our six steps above, and remember smart investing is not supposed to be fun. Take this advice seriously folks. Okay? 

So that’s our 7-point checklist to investing and building wealth. This stuff is not revolutionary, but it is crucial to your personal financial education and your future. 

Some of this stuff you’ve likely heard elsewhere, and some of it you’ve read in other articles and books (by us!). But maybe that is the point—what works is worth repeating. And what works is worth adapting to your own investment playbook.

On that note, give these tips a try, and speak with a financial planner who can cater to your needs. One or two sessions can never hurt. Sound good? Peace!

RECOMMENDED READING ON INVESTING 

Here are a few investment books and other resources that we highly recommend. After all, life-long learning should be yet another smart step to every responsible investor. Happy reading! 

BOOKS

• Personal Finance For Musicians by Bobby Borg and Britt Hatsey

• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Jack Bogle

• The Little Book of Bullet Proof Investing by Bill Stein and Phil DeMuth

• How to Think About Money by Jonathan Clements

• The Random Walk Guide to Investing by Burton G. Malkiel 

• Rescue Your Money by Ric Edelman

• The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton

• The Richest Man In Babylon by George Clason

• The Index Card by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack

• The Coffee House Investor by Bill Schultheis

• The Bogleheads Guide to the Three-Fund Portfolio by Talor Larimore

• The Bogleheads Guide To Retirement Planning by Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindawer, Richard Ferri and Laura F Dogu

• Common Sense Investing by Rick Van Ness

• Why Bother With Bonds by Rick Van Ness

• Think, Act, and Invest like Warren Buffet by Larry E. Sweroe

• Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein

• The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias

• Get a Financial Life by Beth Kobliner 

WEBSITES

• Investopedia: investopedia.com

• Nerd Wallet: nerdwallet.com

• Bankrate: bankrate.com

• The Finance Buff: thefinancebuff.com

• Oblivious Investor: obliviousinvestor.com

• Forbes Advisor: forbes.com/advisor

• Yahoo Finance: finance.yahoo.com

• Morningstar: morningstar.com

Although computerized assistance in the music industry is nothing new, the rise of generative A.I. poses a new level of concern. What will happen as the technology continues to develop? MC spoke with five experts to analyze this burning topic. 

Dr. Martin Clancy

Founder / Chair

IEEE Global A.I. Ethics Arts Committee

martinclancy.eu/ieee

What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? 

Things are happening quickly, so any predictions are nebulous. I teach and also work as a manager and artist. I got involved in A.I. because I noticed some of my students were responding to these technologies. I ended up doing a PhD on this subject. I wasn’t making predictions, yet what I researched is pretty much what has happened. 

There’s a lot happening that has profound implications. And it’s also an opportunity for growth if the moment is seized. If not, we might be looking at a future not unlike what occurred during the Napster period. There’s a chance to use these tools in a fun but equitable way.

Do people have misconceptions about artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change music? 

I imagined that a younger generation must be more hip to this than I am, but that doesn’t match with my experience. There’s a big mismatch between what is understood and what is happening. 

Is there any way for creators to protect their likenesses and artistic voices?

Legally, copyright has to be created by humans to be granted copyright. It doesn’t mean nonhumans aren’t capable of creativity but that it won’t be granted copyright. We’re in a place where we have to come up with personality rights. “That protects my voice, doesn’t it?” Maybe. 

The two cases that rocked the industry were Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse.” Nothing to do with A.I., but they pushed the boundaries of what we thought was copyrightable or what could be argued. Now, when it comes to A.I., the question of whether you are infringing on my copyright becomes much more opaque and complex. 

What adjustments should creative people make to accommodate A.I.?

Understand and try the technologies. Experiment and see what new things you can do. 

The second part comes into the legality. Everybody’s looking toward legislation, because even with the best intentions there are unforeseeable consequences. It comes down to what we care about. The pandemic showed we care about the arts. 

And build an economic model. I know that sounds lofty, but that’s what’s necessary. 

How can music people use artificial intelligence?

Let’s take it from the musician’s point of view: 63 percent of musicians said they’re already using A.I. in some capacity. Most musicians use social media to market themselves. It’s a drag on their time. A.I. is a good way of alleviating that and creating more space for creative work. And musicians can use [A.I. programs] as new tools. Don’t read the instruction manuals; have fun with them.

From the major label side, there’s a lot to be positive about if a common appetite can be found. And I believe there can be. There’s a lot of fear, but when I start speaking about the possibility of a better future, everybody seems interested.

Do you think artificial intelligence will help artists become more creative?

It’s easy to see it as depressing and think, “What’s the point in my doing that when it can do it itself?” That’s too easy. I lean into the positive side.

Sam Dresser

Chief Innovation Officer

School of Rock

schoolofrock.com

What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? 

In the past, we’ve seen technological breakthroughs that people were scared of. The photograph didn’t replace painters; it just turned into another medium. A.I.’s going to play a similar role, but it is a little different in that generative A.I. is able to generate content on its own. So I think it’s going to have a profound impact. 

I believe the overall impact is going to be positive. At School of Rock, we’re always thinking about how we can introduce music to new people. How can we make music approachable? We have been getting more serious about songwriting. How do you go from nothing to a finished song? A.I. can help demystify that process.

We’re going to see a lot of content fully generated by A.I. And there is going to be disruption and displacement in certain spaces. There may be a hit song that has a novelty to it because it was A.I.-generated, but what people love about music is authenticity.

Do people have misconceptions about artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change music?

You see misconceptions on both ends of the spectrum. The doom and gloom folks are likely overstating the impact. And those who think it’s a passing fad are likely understating the impact. 

It’s hard to say exactly what this is going to look like. We know enough to recognize that it’s going to be transformative. We don’t know how it’s going to look down the road. I’m generally an optimist about it. 

Is there any way for creators to protect their likenesses and artistic voices?

You’re going to see a lot of developments in that space. Some of it may be legislatively enforced. There are also startups that aim to protect creators. The big companies that have billions of dollars at stake are going to duke it out with legislators and tech companies. Hopefully, it benefits content creators as well. It’s an interesting discussion around imitation versus copying. Where is that line? There are court battles being settled all the time around this topic. 

Right now, there’s not much artists can do aside from the things we know you need to do to protect yourself. Keep up as best you can on what’s happening and experiment with it. Because it’s not going anywhere, and the ones that’ll stay relevant are the ones that embrace it. I’m confident we can end up somewhere that feels fair to all parties. 

What adjustments should creative people make to accommodate A.I.?

Do what we’ve always done—create content we think is compelling. Share our stories. What did we do when synthesizers came out? What did we do when Digital Audio Workstations became the norm and things like Pro Tools? What did we do with turntables and electric drum machines? Some found new music to create from that. 

If it hooks you, then people are going to want to check it out. If it sounds interesting and has all the elements that make great music, they dig it. So make compelling stuff. And if [A.I.] is something that interests you, play around with it. 

How can music people use artificial intelligence?

There are three buckets where A.I. can be helpful. One is personal assistance, like helping you be more organized, structuring your day, coordinating meetings or completing an email. Then there are assistant things, like planning a vacation. 

And then there’s strategy. Things like, “Give me a few decision-making matrixes.” Or, “Tell me some KPIs that would mean success for this initiative.” Or, “Help me create a project plan.” Even, “Analyze this presentation and tell me if it contains the right content.”

The last [category] is what musicians care most about, which is A.I. as a content creator. We’re going to dip into each one of those at different times depending on the work being done.

Do you think artificial intelligence will help artists become more creative?

I think so. You’re always going to have those who are like, “I don’t want my creative vision influenced by A.I.” I respect that. But imagine somebody recording a melody into their phone, feeding it into an app and saying, “Turn this into a song in this style.” People are going to use A.I. to spark ideas quickly and easily. It will be used to help people be more creative. At the end of the day, the people with the most compelling visions will still win out, because they’re the ones that are going to curate what’s good and will resonate.

Ashley Irwin

President

Society of Composers & Lyricists

ashleyirwin.com

What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? 

People who don’t adapt will fade away. Those who are forced to adapt may find their work takes on a different look. While it may replace jobs in certain areas, there are always going to be people who need to feed the machine, if you like. So maybe that becomes a new job. Art is a reflection of a moment in time, and I don’t think machines can respond to what’s happening in society. So that’s where there will be jobs. 

One of the things from any new technology is the speed factor. When I started, if you wanted to re-edit a movie the editor would undo all the splices and put it back a different way. Now that it’s digital, it’s a keystroke. While that’s convenient, the people we work for realize it takes us less time. Therefore, we’re always being pushed in terms of delivery times. 

Do people have misconceptions about artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change music? 

The misconception is that everything’s going to be good. One of the reasons we as composers and songwriters are employed is because of our taste. We are the arbiters. I don’t know that a generative A.I. machine has the ability to reject bad ideas. To them, it’s an output. So, who becomes the arbiter? Who’s going to decide what is and isn’t good?

Is there any way for creators to protect their likenesses and artistic voices?

That’s the big question. The labels are trying to get a federally mandated law where it’s consistent across the country. But it’s different from state-to-state at the moment. 

One of the big fears is that, regardless of what we do in the U.S., there are going to be bad actors around the world. Just like there are offshore tax havens, there may be copyright-free places where you can create whatever you like. As it is, there are certain territories where they’re not enforcing anything. So from that aspect, I don’t know how you are going to protect copyright. We’re doing a lot of work with the copyright office to determine what should happen. 

What adjustments should creative people make to accommodate A.I.?

We’re encouraging [the SCL’s] members to put a clause into their contracts that requires not using commissioned work for generative A.I. purposes without consent. 

How can music people use artificial intelligence?

There’s a lot of stuff you have to do to keep track of metadata. A lot of that can be done with artificial intelligence. Or if you’re doing a television show and have a bunch of themes or want to get over writer’s block, you can generatively use your material to create variations that you might not otherwise have come up with. 

Do you think artificial intelligence will help artists become more creative?

Possibly. I remember this discussion when Sgt. Pepper’s was released and The Beatles started doing multi-track and all that. You sort of go, “What would’ve happened if Mozart had been able to play around in a recording studio?” People are going to find ways to use this technology that we don’t even know about and come up with interesting things. Not all of them will be listenable. But the good ones will be good and the arbiters of taste will decide which those are. 

Anshay Saboo

Head of Product

Drumify, a subsidiary of LiveOne

drumify.com

What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? 

Over the past year, we’ve seen A.I. break into many industries, but we’re on the cusp of A.I.-generated music. The entire integrity of the art comes into question. Some people are with it; some are against it. Universal [Music] is encouraging it and using that as another revenue stream. The future is going to come down to how we can make A.I. equitable. 

At Drumify, we’ve been building features that allow producers to have a vision of the song they want to make and use A.I. to bring that to life through enhanced sound discovery and A.I.-based suggestion. Right now, we’re in that phase of growing pains any time a groundbreaking technology is made available. As we figure out what works, it’ll have a positive impact. 

Do people have misconceptions about artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change music?

One misconception is that it is going to be the downfall of creativity. On the opposite end, it makes it easier than ever for people making music to elevate their work. Now, you can do it in a matter of hours. So while there are caveats, it has the potential to become one of the biggest creative jumps in history. 

Is there any way for creators to protect their likenesses and artistic voices?

The industry is working on how creators whose voices are being used in A.I. productions will be paid and how the copyright and royalty system will work. At Drumify, we’re half music publishing company and half technology company, so we do a lot of work ensuring that producers of samples and beats are protected. And that, if they end up being used, they’re paid. Broadening that idea to A.I. is a conversation the industry needs to have. In the end, it’s better to embrace this wave than trying to crush it.

What adjustments should creative people make to accommodate A.I.?

If you think we’re going to go back to normal, that’s never going to happen. So the best adjustment is to educate yourself and explore all the opportunities and tools.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. Just because you are in the industry doesn’t mean you need to start working on A.I.-generated vocals or beats. But figure out how you can use those applications to optimize your workflow and creativity.

How can music people use artificial intelligence?

There are many A.I. tools that create musical ideas or even take music that’s played on one instrument and transform it into another. On the corporate side, there are tools that make it easier than ever to draw up legal contracts. 

Do you think artificial intelligence will help artists become more creative?

Not necessarily. It depends on what a musician’s creative process is. This wave of A.I.-generated music might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely something that’s worth exploring. Maybe a generative A.I. tool could help you break through and discover new sounds. 

Rachel Stilwell

Stilwell Law

rmslawoffices.com

What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? 

It’s hard to predict. But music creators should be able to use A.I. to go beyond what they normally would. And that’s exciting.

On the other hand, music is copyrightable, both the musical composition and the sound recording. We need to be careful about protecting songwriters and recording artists from misappropriation of their work. 

Do people have misconceptions about artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change music?

People have suspicions about how it will go, but we aren’t going to know until we have it being used day in and day out. People say things like, “Information wants to be free.” And they apply that to music. What they mean is there should be no copyrights. 

There are also those that say, “We need to be careful about people scraping performances, songwriting and recordings, without consent.” I feel strongly that, if you’re going to use somebody’s work to train A.I., you need the consent of the person whose work you’re copying. 

Is there any way for creators to protect their likenesses and artistic voices?

Recording artists don’t always own their masters. If you don’t own your masters, what do you do if somebody is scraping your performances? Under those circumstances, you can’t sue. 

Not every state has a right of publicity statute, but California, New York and Nevada do. Those laws protect against misappropriation of name, likeness, voice and sometimes signature. A vocalist might be able to sue to get something taken down. There is a recently introduced federal right of publicity statute called the NO FAKES Act that would federalize this right of publicity. That would be a good thing for vocalists and actors, because it’s not limited to music. 

Right now, this particular statute has a few exceptions that are too broad; it would allow a user to borrow for parody or satire. If the NO FAKES Act is amended to remove these exceptions or make them narrower, that would be a good thing.

What adjustments should creative people make to accommodate A.I.?

The burden is on the laws. There are copyright protections in place, but they’re not enough. We need a federal right of publicity statute. And if it takes a while to get, then those states that don’t have right of publicity statutes should enact one. 

Beyond that, we need to amend the federal anti-bootlegging statute to cover studio recordings and provide another tool to protect against misappropriation of recorded performances. It’s the job of those in law and policy to address the potential for misuse and not put the burden on musicians to chase down every misappropriation of their work. 

How can music people use artificial intelligence?

I don’t think A.I. should be doing the work of the artist. But if you need a tool to help edit the thing you have created, A.I. sounds great. 

Do you think artificial intelligence will help artists become more creative?

There’s a reason why I’m a lawyer instead of a guitar player. I’ve got a really good left brain. I have things to say about protecting creators. I’m good at that. •

 Copyright

Copyright in its most basic form is how you prove ownership of a “work.” A “work” can be anything from a screenplay, a book, a piece of art, or in a musician’s case, a song. A work is considered protected under copyright law when it is fixed in a tangible form of expression. Meaning, when you write it down, record it, or print it out, in that moment it becomes protected and belongs to you. And will belong to you for the rest of your life plus seventy years. After which it becomes what’s known as public domain.

When a work becomes public domain, anyone can recreate and distribute it without having to obtain permission. Music such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach are all considered public domain. However, what you cannot do is sample another artist’s recording of a piece of music; while the song may be public domain, the recording may not be. This is because there is another copyright at play with the sound recording of a work.

When dealing with music and copyright it’s important to understand that there are two copyrights involved; the first is the song you write, (the “song itself”). The second is the recording of the song, sometimes referred to as the “master.” If you write and record your own music, congratulations you own both copyrights. If you’re signed to a label, or someone paid for your recordings, chances are that they own the master. 

 Master Use License

A quick sidenote about the master recording. If you want to license your music for a movie, television show, or advertisement, you will need to obtain a master use license as well as a sync license (see below). If you own your own masters, this is relatively easy. If you have signed some form of record deal, the label will have control of it. The fee for usage of the master will typically go to the owner of the recording as well. 

 Sync Licenses

The other type of license needed for film, television, advertising, and video games is known as a sync license. Synchronization or sync is the process of combining music with some form of moving imagery. These licenses are worked out between your music publisher and the producer or music supervisor of a project. 

The rates for a sync license vary depending on a few factors, such as how popular your song is, how it will be used within the project (background, main title, end credits, etc.), or how much of the song they use (just the verse or the entire work). 

The music publisher will collect these fees and distribute them to the songwriters, usually for a negotiated fee.

 What is Considered a Music Copyright

Copyright with music typically refers to the melody and the lyric. A beat, chord progression, or rhythm isn’t considered protected, although recent lawsuits have challenged this idea. More specifically, the “Blurred Lines” v. “Got to Give it Up” lawsuit, where it was determined that “Blurred Lines” did infringe on the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up.” Even though there was no melody or lyric overlap.

Because of this ruling, a huge number of lawsuits have been filed against major artists like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and most recently Ed Sheeran, making the longstanding rule of melody and lyric only a little grayer.

 Co-writes and Copyright

If you are collaborating with other songwriters or writing with your band, the copyright and ownership is normally split evenly among all of the writers. Some situations, like if you’re a new writer collaborating with an established artist, you may receive a smaller share of the ownership. This should be discussed before-hand to avoid any miscommunications or hurt feelings.

What happens if you co-write a song with someone you have a falling out with, and you want to use your lyrics to write another song? Due to the way copyright law works, the moment you put your lyrics to someone’s music, it is considered “fixed in a tangible form” and cannot be undone. 

I’ll put it this way: If you are baking a cake with your friend, they bring the eggs, and you bring the flour. Once you combine the two ingredients you’ve created something new. And it’s impossible to take your ingredients back once they have been “baked” together.

It’s important that you understand this concept when deciding to collaborate with another writer. 

 Music Publishers

So, what is a music publisher and what do they do? A music publisher is an entity that represents your music. The main job of a publisher is to get your music earning you money commercially. A good publisher will work to get your music placed in things like movies, television shows, video games, commercials, etc. Which will then generate revenue for the songwriters (and the publishers) via licenses and royalties.

A publisher will also handle the administration of your music, which is: registering your songs with your performing rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, etc.), negotiating and collecting any licensing fees or royalties (both performance and mechanical) for getting your music used commercially, handling distribution and reproduction rights, as well as handling any printed sheet music that may be created.

 Do you need a Publisher?

Short answer: yes, absolutely. 

Long answer: kinda, but still yes. 

   While a publisher is generally a third party that represents your music, you can act as your own publisher. And I would advise you to do so until you are represented by a third party. To do this, when you register with your performing rights organization you have the option to sign up as either a “writer” or a “publisher.” I advise you to do both. Currently, the cost to do so is negligible. 

The downside of acting as your own publisher is that you become responsible for all the administrative tasks that a publisher would perform. Unless you’re well versed in all the ins and outs of how music publishing and licenses work, this could be slightly overwhelming. Even if you don’t fully understand everything, you still should sign up. You can always assign your publishing to a third party later. But it’s best to be ready should an opportunity arise.

 Co-writers and Multiple Publishers

Chances are, if you are co-writing with different writers, they will have their own publishing company that represents them. In some cases, it can be as many as five or six publishers associated with one song. As you can imagine, this could cause issues with licensing opportunities as all the publishers need to agree to give permission. 

The way this is normally solved is one publisher is chosen as the administrator to act on behalf of all the other publishers and make decisions in the best interests of all involved. This should be decided on sooner than later. Otherwise, it’s like herding cats.

 Performing Rights Organizations

As mentioned previously, a performing rights organization, or PRO, is an organization that will collect any performance royalties from your music when it is played or performed in a public venue. This could be television, radio, clubs, or the grocery store. Every time your music is publicly broadcast, your PRO will collect the royalty money and distribute it equally among the writers and publishers the song is registered to. The rates of the royalties vary depending on the medium that the music is being used for. (That’s a discussion for another article.) Every country has at least one PRO that provides this service. In the U.S. the big three are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. If you are a songwriter or composer and you want to make a living from your music, you need to be registered with a PRO. ASCAP and BMI are available to anyone who wants to join. SESAC is the outlier, as you must be invited. If this is all new to you, and you are writing your own music, I urge you to sign up as soon as you can. 

 Royalty Distribution

Here’s a quick breakdown of how royalties are distributed through your PRO. The first thing to understand is that a song in and of itself is worth 100% (200% if you’re with BMI) of the performance royalties it generates. However, that 100% when collected is split into two equal shares known as the “writers share” and the “publishers share.” What this means is that the money earned from the use of the song will be split evenly between the writer and the publisher. So, if $1,000 in performance royalties is collected, $500 will go to the writer’s share, while the other $500 will go to the publisher’s share.

If you are self-publishing your music, you will receive all the royalties. If you have signed a publishing deal, this may change depending on the deal and any advances you may receive. 

 Mechanical Royalties

While performance royalties are collected and allocated by your PRO, another type of royalty you should familiarize yourself with is the mechanical royalty. 

A mechanical royalty is generated though the reproduction of a song via either the creation and sale of a physical copy, such as vinyl or a CD (not so much anymore), or digital formats such as streaming and digital downloads. 

These royalties are collected and paid to the publisher by organizations such as The Harry Fox Agency and Songtrust. The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is now the only entity that collects digital audio mechanical royalties.

With streaming, there has been some debate about what is considered a mechanical royalty vs. a performance royalty. And who collects what. To understand it almost requires an advanced degree in mathematics. Here’s an oversimplified explanation:

Permanent downloads of a song generate a mechanical royalty. Non-interactive streaming, meaning you don’t choose the music but listen to an online radio station like Pandora, generates a performance royalty. Interactive streams and limited downloads (on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music) generate both a performance royalty collected by your PRO and a mechanical royalty collected by The MLC. If you are an independent artist, you can sign up to collect your digital audio mechanical royalties directly from The MLC or use an administrator or distributor (like Tunecore or CD Baby) to collect your streaming mechanicals on your behalf.

 Publishing Deals

A publishing deal is when you assign a portion of your copyright (publisher’s share) to a third-party. Your new publisher will now handle administrative tasks, such as registering your songs or securing licensing for film, television, or video games. They will also collect any royalties that your music may be entitled to, such as performance royalties and mechanical royalties from physical sales and streaming.

Signing a publishing deal is like giving power of attorney to the publisher to make decisions on your behalf. Which is why it’s very important to know two things; 1.) What kind of deal are you signing, its terms and conditions, and 2.) Is the publisher willing to put in the effort to exploit your music?

There are a few different types of publishing deals that can be offered, so it is important for you to know what you’re getting into before you sign your rights away. 

 Admin Deals

An admin deal is the type of deal that concerns handling all the administrative tasks of your music. For a small percentage of the income, your administrators will collect royalties and help with licenses. This is normally around 5% - 20% of the revenue. 

Admin deals typically don’t come with an advance (although some may). They also won’t provide some of the creative services that a co-publishing deal or a traditional publishing deal would provide. They are, however, a good choice if you want to retain full ownership of your copyrights. These deals are most common with well-established writers and artists who don’t need as much promotion for their music as, say, an up-and-coming writer. 

 Co-Publishing Deals

A co-publishing deal (also referred to as a songwriter deal) is when you assign a portion of your copyright to a third party. Most co-pub deals take half of your publisher’s share. You will retain all of your writer’s share and the other half of your publisher’s share, thus giving you an opportunity to make more money off any royalties your music makes. You may also receive an advance against any future royalties. More on this later.

Be aware that some publishing deals also have an admin fee baked into the deal. Which could mean that you are paying an extra 10% of your royalty for the publisher to administer your music. This is sometimes written into the fine print of the deal. You can always ask a potential publisher if they charge an admin fee on top of your earnings.

 Traditional Publishing Deal

With a traditional publishing deal, you will assign the entirety of your publishers share to the publisher, giving them full control over your copyright. These types of deals are usually accompanied by a much larger advance. 

With both types of these deals, the publisher will perform all of the duties that you would receive with an admin deal, with the added benefit of providing creative services. These services could be anything from pitching your music to advertisers, television shows, and video games. Larger publishers will have a greater ability to get your music in more places than you could do on your own. You may also receive a substantial advance for your deal, as well. These are all good things about signing a deal like this. However, there is a trade-off when you take such a deal.

 Advances

While receiving a large sum of money upfront for your publishing may seem enticing, one thing most people don’t understand is that an advance on a publishing deal is essentially like a loan. And that loan has to be recouped. The publisher is taking a chance that they will make their advance back from future royalties your music generates. The way this happens is through the collection of your royalties. More specifically, your writer’s share. 

If you receive a $100,000 advance from your publisher, the publisher will use the royalties from your writers share to pay down the advance. What this means is that you will not earn any new money from your music until your advance is fully recouped. The good news is that unlike a personal loan, if you fail to recoup your advance, you’re not obligated to pay it back out of pocket, unless you sign a very bad deal. 

Failure to recoup, though, could harm your chances of receiving another publishing deal in the future. It will ultimately boil down to two things. One, is having a consistent and marketable collection of music and two is how hard the publisher works to get your music to generate income. 

 Quotas

Some publishing deals will require you to deliver a quota of songs per each year that you are signed with them. The average is between 10 to 20 songs. However, co-writes typically will only count for the percentage of ownership that you have. If you co-write a song and have only 50% ownership, then that only counts as half a song towards your quota.

 Music Libraries and Publishing

Music libraries have been around for decades. Recently, however, there has been a sharp uptick in the number of libraries available and the content of their catalogs.

A music library is an entity that has hundreds of songs and instrumental pieces for use for sync purposes. If you decide to become affiliated with a music library, they will act as your defacto publisher, handling any licenses needed and collecting money from royalties and sync fees.

In most music library deals, they will take all of the publishing and split any sync fees with the writers associated with the tracks being used. Some deals may vary, depending on the library. 

It is always important to look over any agreements you may be presented with and ask questions about anything you don’t understand. If they are unwilling to give you a straight answer, it may be time to find another deal.

 How Do You Get a Publishing Deal?

Easier said than done. If you’re writing with an established artist or producer, and getting your songs released commercially or are earning royalties on your songs already via ads, video games and the like, that is a huge advantage that most publishers would jump at. 

However, if you are still trying to establish yourself as a writer or an artist, the three most important things you will need are great songs—a lot of them—and the connections. If you’re serious about getting a deal, you will need to write every day. Know that not everything you write will be good. Regardless, finish even the bad ones, as it opens up the channel for the good ones to come through. Collaborate with as many writers and artists as you can. It’s a numbers game. 

For reference, while choosing the songs to record for Michael Jackson’s classic album Thriller, Quincy Jones listened to 800 songs to get nine. Six of which became top 10. 

For the connections, you need to be where the publishers are. While the internet is a great resource to find opportunities, joining societies like The SCL (Society of Composers and Lyricists), ASCAP, or BMI and going to their in-person events can open lots of potential doors for your career. 

 And In Conclusion…

Music publishing is an onion with many complex layers to it. My hope is that this article has helped shed some light on some of the more misunderstood concepts. If you’re interested in more information about making a living as a musician, check out my book; The Working Musician’s Handbook for Professional Success.  

KRIS HAWKINS is an EMMY winning music producer, award winning educator, and author of The Working Musician’s Handbook for Professional Success. See krishawkinsmusic.com/book

Brian Lucey

Company: Magic Garden Mastering

Clientele: The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Lizzo

Contact: magicgardenmastering.com

Originally from Columbus, OH, multi-Grammy winner Brian Lucey was embedded in New York City’s East Village music scene in the waning days of the ‘80s. Under the tutelage of Robert Fripp, legendary musician and organizing force behind King Crimson, he refined his craft. His repertoire expanded when he taught himself production and engineering and then made his final foray into mastering in the late ‘90s. Lucey established Magic Garden Mastering more than two decades ago and now lives and works in Los Angeles. Recently Access Analog released a robotically-controlled copy of his chain as part of its Analog Matrix plugin. 

What big mastering changes have been seen in recent years?

We passed peak loudness maybe seven-to-ten years ago and that has trickled down a bit more. Sometimes people will ask me to turn something down and I’m not superhot on the first go. There’s also been more evolution of education but also two hiccups: focusing of LUFS [Loudness Units relative to Full Scale] measurements as some sort of important factor and focusing on measurement for streaming.

What are the best ways to find new clients?

I don’t find new clients. That’s never worked for me. My business model is that I do the work and then clients find me. If I ever advertise something it’s only to tell people what I’ve done because credits aren’t really known in this era. I see it as having no control over what jobs I get. That’s pretty much up to the universe.

Should engineers be concerned about how useful or powerful mastering plugins have become?

No one should be concerned about plugins. They’re amazing and they get better all the time. But even the best ones will never be able to [emulate] the sound of transformers and high-shelf boosting. They’re both out of the range of what can be programmed and that’s probably not going to change, according to the developers I talk to.

Is there a single tool–hardware or software–that you deem indispensable? 

My whole chain is indispensable, which is why I have spares. I’ve got late-fifties, early-sixties Amperex Bugle Boy EF86 [tubes] in my output stage. If I don’t have that tube in it, my whole chain falls apart. The net result is a single tool. I’ve got a Fairman, elysia alpha compressor and Pacific Microsonics conversion. They’re point-to-point connected with particular cables from Acoustic Zen.

Can a mastering engineer fix a problematic or bad mix?

To me, mastering is about enhancement. I don’t think of it as a correction or technical step. A common myth is that great mixes are easier to work on. They have room for enhancement, but we have to be careful. Lesser mixes are much easier to enhance.  

What’s the best way to determine what an artist wants from their mastered record?

That’s the crux of the skill. It’s partly having a near encyclopedic understanding of the history of music so that whatever comes in it’s able to be seen as going a certain direction. Then it’s partly intuiting what’s there based on my understanding of the recording process.

What are some alternate income sources for mastering engineers?

For any artist, owning real estate is the best alternative income. That’s the first step after any kind of success.

What’s the best path for those who aspire to become mastering engineers?

In a world of overwhelming options, the hardest thing to do is to trust yourself. It’s okay to make any choice that you feel good about. They aren’t forever. In the ‘90s I got a bunch of early ‘80s CDs that were highly dynamic. So, I figured out how to make dynamic music louder while still moving air and having low end at low midrange.

What are the three most important things you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out?

If you do your best, things will work out but not necessarily in a way that you can control. 

Follow the signs and trust the process.

Focus on your daily effort. It’s the only thing that you can control. •

Kim Rosen

Company: Knack Mastering

Clientele: Flogging Molly, Bonnie Raitt, Allison Russell

Contact: knackmastering.com

Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Kim Rosen was born on the East Coast and grew up in the local music scene. Her introduction to mastering came in 2002 when a friend told her about an internship opportunity at West Side Music. Despite having no formal engineering training, studio-owner Alan Douches saw something in Rosen and offered her the gig. After seven years there, she opened Knack Mastering, her own space. Five records she’s worked on have won Grammys with a total of 18 earning nominations. The first nod was for singer Bettye Lavette’s Worthy for Best Blues Album. 

What big mastering changes have been seen in recent years?

Technology is always evolving and changing, both in formats and in tools. There are plenty of engineers who work one hundred percent in the box. I don’t. I have a hybrid of analog and digital. The way we prepare files for streaming has also changed, taking into account where listeners are hearing their music: mostly earbuds and car stereos.

What are the best ways to find new clients?

Word-of-mouth, doing excellent work and giving great customer service. Looking for other artists and engineers is also useful. If you do a good job, it’s likely that they’ll send more projects your way.

Should engineers be concerned about how useful or powerful mastering plugins have become?

There’s an importance in terms of technology and the evolution of our capabilities. But there’s still nothing like an actual musician playing and recording. My moves and positions will resonate far more than an AI or computer mastering something.

Is there a single tool – hardware or software – that you deem indispensable?

My ears, speakers and my room. There’s no amount of gear that can replace those. Two years ago I upgraded to Strauss Elektroakustik MF-4 speakers and their matching power amp. They’re full-range, with a fantastic frequency response, and they’re meticulously made. They allow me to be far more specific in the way that I work.

Can a mastering engineer fix a problematic or bad mix?

Yes and no. There are a lot of tools we can use to alter a mix but we’re limited by them. We can address issues with sibilance or certain elements standing out too much. But to fully fix a mix issue, that’s a big, fat no.

What’s the best way to determine what an artist wants from their mastered record?

Speak with them. Often, I’ll ask for examples of music they’ve been listening to that inspired their album. It’s important to understand that I’m not asking what they want their record to sound like but [to gauge] the state of mind that they were in. I’ll also listen to their past work but won’t assume that they want [the new record] to sound like it.

What are some alternate income sources for mastering engineers?

When my husband Dave and I started to build my mastering room, we researched gear for my chain. I had a Fearn compressor, but I used it more for gain staging. It has a way of lending a “sound” just passing audio through it. His thought was to create a box that could enhance the sound of things using transformers and tube loading to add harmonics in different ways. We started development of Whitestone Audio Instruments in 2012 and launched it in 2019. Our P331 Tube Loading Amplifier fits seamlessly into my process.

What’s the best path for those who aspire to become mastering engineers? Is a formal education preferred over a practical one?

Some general electronic engineering background is helpful. The more you understand about engineering, electronics and sound, the better foundation you’ll have. However, when it comes to mastering, it’s both technical and creative so it’s beneficial to apprentice or intern at a mastering studio.

What are the three most important things you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out?

I can’t say that I wish I knew things sooner because there’s a natural timeline for everyone. There was never a point where I struggled because I didn’t know something. We always have the capacity to learn as we go and I think that’s the best way sometimes. If you learn everything at the beginning then it becomes less of a journey. •

Dan Emery

Company: Black Matter Mastering

Clientele: Kool Keith, Matt Heckler, Benjamin Tod

Contact: blackmattermastering.com

Nashville native Dan Emery came to mastering by way of recording engineering. He didn’t know many mastering pros and at some point decided to learn the craft for himself. It was also clear that it would cost him less to finish his own records. Much of his trade was learned through various mentors as well as simple old-school trial and error. He opened Black Matter Mastering in 2012 where post-production for the minimalist recording series Magnolia Sessions is run. Vinyl etching—an image pressed into an unplayable side of a record—is another service that the studio offers.

What big mastering changes have been seen in recent years?

The way that people deliver to distribution seems to change rapidly. There’s been such a huge resurgence in vinyl that we’ve been doing a lot of that: people wanting things prepared for vinyl and digital. The challenge is balancing the two. Ultimately, you want it all to sound like the same album. 

What are the best ways to find new clients?

Marketing is the one thing I hate about running a business. But most of it is organic, which is a slow-turning wheel. I get a lot of work through word-of-mouth. If a client had a great experience, they’ll want to work with you forever. 

Should engineers be concerned about how useful or powerful mastering plugins have become?

The way I feel about mastering plugins is the same way that I feel about TV dinners: if I’m in a pinch, I can throw a burrito in the microwave. But if I’m looking for a good meal, I’ll have someone prepare it who cares. Automation works to a degree but at a certain point you don’t want to chance it based on ones and zeroes. Mastering is still part of the artistic process. 

Is there a single tool–hardware or software–that you deem indispensable?

The best answer, of course, is my ears. You need to be able to make different pieces of equipment do what you want them to do. The biggest part of that is knowing what you’re trying to hear and how to get that. But the most important thing is good metering; being able to analyze what’s happening on a scientific level. Mastering The Mix has some good metering plugins. It gets you a solid visual of your phase correlation and things happening within your dynamic range. 

Can a mastering engineer fix a problematic or bad mix?

I don’t think so. There are certain things I can do to cover up a bad mix but if there’s something that’s not right, it’s so much easier to have the mix engineer fix it. I have to appreciate that the mixer did everything intentionally and whatever I’m doing is deemed a compromise. It’s me changing something they did specifically. 

What’s the best way to determine what an artist wants from their mastered record?

Communication. When a mastering engineer sends you a reference, talk about it. Discuss how it makes you feel because that’s how you’re going to feel in twenty years. You’ve created a Mona Lisa and you’re letting someone [else] put the frame on it. A common misconception is that mastering is supposed to make the mix better. The way it was recorded and mixed is exactly how it’s supposed to sound. I’m making that deliverable in multiple formats and not sound wrong.

What are some alternate income sources for mastering engineers?

Remasters are hard because if you’re getting something that’s a classic, the last thing you want to do is anything that detracts from that. In that case, doing your job too well could be a problem.

What’s the best path for those who aspire to become mastering engineers? Is a formal education preferred over a practical one?

If you can do both, do both. Schools will teach you a lot of science behind sound. But you can’t underestimate the importance of getting in there and getting your hands on it; getting your own workflow going. 

What are the three most important things you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out?

Communication. Listen to your clients and discuss what they want.

   Break down your own barriers and don’t limit yourself to certain types of gear.

   Don’t half-ass your setup. Spend the money on good equipment. •

Randy Merrill

Company: Sterling Sound

Clientele: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga

Contact: sterling-sound.com

Randy Merrill is a nearly lifelong musician. The drums were his first instrument as a child, he grew into guitar as a teenager and settled ultimately on the bass as his signature sonic. He was introduced to recording in college at the school’s two recording studios. Initially he worked towards a production and engineering career, but while at Avatar Studios (now Berklee’s Power Station) where he assisted in building a mastering studio, he realized that finalizing records was his passion. He joined noted mastering house Sterling Sound in 2013 and several records he’s engineered have won or been nominated for Grammys. 

What big mastering changes have been seen in recent years?

Streaming. When you’re mastering for it, it’s a good idea not to push the volume as much as what was required for the CD or download eras. The DSPs [digital service providers] employ loudness normalization algorithms. Even though it might be turned down, [a track] can still sound loud, full and engaging alongside other records.

What are the best ways to find new clients?

Much of it is having a presence on the Sterling website. Many people book through our online service or they contact my manager. It’s also through maintaining relationships. I stay tight with my mixers. Work hard to keep them happy. 

Should engineers be concerned about how useful or powerful mastering plugins have become?

Even though the tools have gotten very powerful, I don’t think so. It’s still advantageous to have a separate person do the mastering. I discourage mixers mastering their own mix not because of their skill level but because it’s good to have another ear on it; someone with a different perspective and acoustic environment. 

Is there a single tool—hardware or software—that you deem indispensable?

I use the FabFilter EQ on most projects. I like that it’s transparent. It’s not going to add any influence and it allows me to shape the coloration as needed. There’s also the resolution. You can get down into hundredths or even thousandths of a decibel of EQ. It’s a very precise tool.

Can a mastering engineer fix a problematic or bad mix?

You can do quite a bit if you’re willing to put in the time. Ozone’s Master Rebalance is a tool that helps with that. I can adjust the vocal volume by itself. EQ alone may not give you the same result. You can also do drums and bass. Sometimes a mix is so loud or compressed that there isn’t a lot I can do with it.

What’s the best way to determine what an artist wants from their mastered record?

Ask if they have any of their own mastered songs or others that they like the sound of. If they have their mixer’s version of the mastering, that feedback can be helpful. They can also reference other records I’ve done.

What are some alternate income sources for mastering engineers?

Remastering tends to be lucrative because it’s not just the mastering itself. Something that’s forty years old can have a large audience and you can sell additional deliverables for CD or vinyl manufacturing. 

What’s the best path for those who aspire to become mastering engineers? Is a formal education preferred over a practical one?

A recording school gives you access to a studio, teacher and gear. An internship or apprenticeship is also good. Unfortunately, they’re difficult to find. Generally, we don’t have interns at Sterling due to the sensitive nature of our work. A smaller independent mastering studio where they need quality control help is a solid bet.

What are the three most important things you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out?

The client is almost always right. Their criticism is beneficial.
    Don’t underestimate what people can hear. Playback systems now are greater than ever.

Always set yourself up for success by doing your homework. When I work with an artist for the first time, I’ll listen to some of their other recordings. *

Gavin Lurssen

Company:Lurssen Mastering

Clientele: Elton John, Miranda Lambert, various soundtracks

Contact:lurssenmastering.com

A four-time Grammy winner and an engineer on multiple platinum records, Gavin Lurssen graduated from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1991. He relocated to Los Angeles shortly thereafter where he landed a runner gig with veteran mastering engineer Doug Sax. In 2005, independence beckoned and he founded Lurssen Mastering. In addition to countless records, his company has mastered soundtracks including Pitch Perfect 2 and The Flash. It’s been involved with IK Multimedia’s Lurssen Mastering Console, Embody’s Immerse Virtual Studio and is affiliated with Produce Like A Pro’s mastering course. 

What big mastering changes have been seen in recent years?

Mixing has become so easy to recall now because everybody’s in the box. There are a few interesting factors to that. One, in the old days if a mix needed a lot of work, it was a big deal to recall it so we tended to work on what was in front of us. Mixers can tweak a mix and send it to us before we do anything to it and then get a better result. Two, sometimes when a client hears a master, they want to change the mix, usually in tiny ways. Sometimes mix engineers even bring their laptops with stems into my studio and make the changes there.

The loudness war has all but disappeared, largely because people understand that it’s a detriment and because streaming platforms do their own leveling. 

What are the best ways to find new clients?

Whether you’re getting paid or not, make sure that you’re always busy and are seen to be so because you create a vibrancy on how to do business, how to manage your time and how to get your work done. I tell young people getting into the business to be active, go to networking events and get to know your peers.

Should engineers be concerned about how useful or powerful mastering plugins have become?

When we did our first plugin with IK Multi-media, several of my colleagues asked if I was afraid it would replace us. I always have the same response: if someone can cannibalize you, it may as well be you because if it’s not, it’s going to be someone else. Stay with the times. Embrace plugins, embrace AI. If technology rules us out, then so be it.

Is there a single tool—hardware or software—that you deem indispensable?

Monitors tell the truth, whether they’re speakers or headphones. I like Audeze headphones, ATC monitors for far and mid-field and both ATC and Genelec for near-field.

What’s the best way to determine what an artist wants from their mastered record?

Usually, they want to know what we think they need. The artist is consumed with picking people who help shape their music in a way that presents their vision to the fans. The artist’s ultimate goal is to create a global feel of the service I provide; to create a scenario in which the listener has no idea that we did anything. 

What are some alternate income sources for mastering engineers? For example, is working on remasters lucrative?

Plugins aren’t a pay-your-bills kind of income source. But what they do is keep your name alive as a thought leader. 

What’s the best path for those who aspire to become mastering engineers? Is a formal education preferred over a practical one?

As an employer, if you come from a school and did well, that tells me you stuck to it; that you committed. If you’re new to the field, it’s virtually impossible to say that this is what you want to do with your life. You have to take a job and see if it is.

What are the three most important things you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out?

Live a life of no regrets. Everything that happens is just part of the mix.

Don’t accumulate stuff for the sake of it. Keep your life small and simple.

Every relationship has give and take. Focus on the giving, because the take is what you receive from that.

For this article, I chose to use some excerpts from my book, The Best Jobs in the Music Industry. All of these music supervisors are top Hollywood players, and they give some great insight and advice … If you would like to hear more about this and other jobs in the music industry, make sure to listen to my podcast GIG with Mike Redman.

Music supervision is made up of people who, for the most part, love music and love selecting the perfect song to marry with images on film, TV, and other electronic media. I truly believe that if you are interested in getting your music into a film, TV show, or game, it’s important to understand everything you can about the role of a Music Supervisor (the person that will decide to give you a shot).

Music supervisors are responsible for finding music, sometimes recording it, negotiating the licensing rights, and doing a pile of supporting paperwork to create the paper trail that will follow a project: a film can have many iterations of licensed usage as it travels from theaters to pay-per-view, and then streaming. However, this job is not exactly the romantic position most people think it is; it’s hard work.

KEVIN EDELMAN

President, Metalman Media Inc.

If you’ve seen Invasion, Homeland, John Wick, Unstable, or Bones, you have heard the work of Kevin Edelman. He’s been one of Hollywood’s top music supervisors for more than twenty years, so you can assume he knows exactly what he’s talking about in my interview with him.

Kevin, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have about what you do as a music supervisor?

“I would say it’s the idea that all we do is listen to music all day and find cool songs. Song picking is one element of the job, but as an overall profession, it’s only one piece of the job description. There are a lot of technical aspects to the job in terms of interfacing with production and postproduction, as well as tedious administrative work.

We oversee budgets and handle music licensing and clearances. Then, of course, there’s the fun part, which is picking songs.”

So, do you get to work in the recording studio?

“Yes, we do work in the studio on specific projects when producing original tracks for a film or a television show. Sometimes it’s with the actors, if they are going to be performing on camera, and sometimes it’s with recording artists or session players to create a new track. This is an area where every music supervisor will have a different level of expertise.”

How does a music supervisor get hired and paid?

“Typically, a music supervisor is hired by the production company. On a film, we typically get paid a flat rate because we’re independent contractors hired by the production to work on this specific project for the duration of the production. On a television show, it’s usually on an episodic basis.”

Do all the costs of producing the music come out of your fee?

“No, we don’t typically work on a package like a composer. Composers are often hired on a package rate, which includes all production of music, the musicians, the studio, any other expenses that they might incur. As music supervisors, our rate is more of a creative and/or administrative fee, which is a flat fee. Any of those other music production expenses have to be budgeted separately.”

Kevin, what’s the most challenging part of being a music supervisor?

“There are a few, but I have found that one of the most challenging aspects is managing the massive amount of music coming at you. There are music catalogs, labels, publishers, and managers everywhere you turn, so you want to find the gems and companies that can deliver on creative and work within your budgets. And, of course, you have to have solid relationships with the major labels and publishers for the more popular stuff.”

What would be your dream project?

“I feel like I’ve been so fortunate to work with such talented people on some dream projects throughout my career: Criminal Minds, Homeland, and John Wick. So, if I could work with those same producers, editors, directors, and composers on a music-driven project that might be more appropriate for my kids, that would be a real treat.”

What are the top skills somebody would need to be successful at your job?

“First and foremost, you need to have good communication skills. I’ve met a lot of people with tons of music knowledge, but some just can’t convey a thought or idea clearly and concisely. Conversely, the best music professionals (music supervisors and composers) are incredible communicators. They can take what a producer is trying to say and perfectly translate it into a piece of music.

Having that level of communication and being able to listen, control your ego, and keep the musical wheels turning are all important skills. It’s not about what your favorite song is; it’s all about fulfilling a creative vision for your show’s writer, director, or producer. Once you’ve tapped into what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s like steering a freighter. You just have to turn the rudder a little bit and guide them toward something that will be even better than what they had in mind, and maximize the impact that music can have on the project.”

MIKE LADMAN

Head of Music, DROGA5

“The first thing I do when I get to the office is open up a music blast inbox and download whatever seems interesting, drag it into my iTunes, listen, and file as much good music as possible. It’s very hard trying to find a way to catalog and remember every good song that has potential placement in an ad, so I’ve developed a system of playlists and playlist folders, which now numbers in the thousands.”

What’s the biggest challenge for you in this type of work?

“It’s the subjectivity of music taste and inability of people to separate personal taste from the right music for a project. The challenge is trying to get 20 people who have different upbringings and different opinions to all agree on what music allows the film to have the most impact. There’s lots of data to support a music choice, but the numbers don’t account for the unexplainable magic of the perfect song that gives you “the feel.”

Do you get to spend much time with artists or composers in the recording studio?

“Yes, and that’s one of the great things about Droga5. Everyone realizes the power of music, so a lot of our scripts rely on a song’s lyrics instead of a voice-over to tell the story and messaging, which is rare in television commercials.

When creating original music, we often work with music houses. Music houses are what you may think of as a jingle house, although most bespoke music isn’t what you may think of as a jingle. They compose a series of tracks based on our creative brief. Once we select our favorite track, we often go into the studio to work with the musicians to revise and edit the track to our liking.”

Where do you think the music industry is headed in the next three to five years, Mike?

“It will just keep evolving and growing in importance. What was the first thing that happened when people went into the COVID lockdown? Everyone and their accountant became a music supervisor and made a playlist. Music was the first thing people turned to for a cure and comfort when they couldn’t find the words to express how they were feeling. I believe talent will always rise to the top. The current issue we face is over saturation of music and the expectation of overnight viral success.”

GARY CALAMAR

President, Go Music Supervision

Gary Calamar is without a doubt one of the most successful contemporary music supervisors of our time. His credits include top-line TV and cable shows such as True Blood, House, Dexter, Weeds, Swingtown, and the list goes on. When I caught up with Gary, he was running between table reads and sessions, as he does most days. He is a confident but humble guy, who loves what he does for a living and is willing to share his thoughts with us on what it means to be a music supervisor today and in the future.

Where do you find your music?

“Well, I find music all over. I’m always reading music magazines, U.K. music magazines, and I follow different music blogs. There’s no single place, but I try to just keep my ears open all the time.

I also get a bunch of music sent to me and listen to all my colleagues at KCRW, who play a lot of great music; XM Sirius radio plays great stuff, too. I also try to surround myself with friends who are music lovers, and they make suggestions to me.

I get sent so much music between the radio show and the television shows that it’s just impossible for me to listen to everything that comes in.”

Could you walk me through a day at the office?

“A day could start off with a fairly clean to-do list, but then by 10:30 a.m., there are three fires on one show and a clearance that won’t happen on another show, and we need to find some “Indian bakery” music for another show.

The things that we do every day may include trying to find music for a particular scene in a show or trying out different songs against the rough cut. At the same time, we’re negotiating deals with the record labels and publishers, or maybe trying to work out a soundtrack situation because we might want to use a song in a show and then in a soundtrack down the line.

So that’s the fun part, but what’s the toughest part of your job?

The toughest part is dealing with politics. Usually, I’m working closely with the creator and the producer(s) of the show, but often there’s a studio involved and the network that’s airing the show. They all have their two cents to put in, and the internal politics can get a little stressful and frustrating, but that’s just part of the job, and the rest is great.

Do you sometimes have to work with music selection by committee?

I would say yes, most of the time. Usually, the producer and writer of an episode have a vote on what goes in . . . so, yes, it’s generally by committee, and also a collaboration. I’m bringing the music to the group, and we’ll decide what gets in by committee.”

If someone reading this is knowledgeable and loves music, what kind of advice might you give them to get their foot in the door?

“A good way in is an internship because there’s a lot to learn. If you can work free or close to it, that works. I got started that way, and I think that, especially music supervisors, who are not making that much money anyway and can’t afford a big staff, always appreciate someone who will come in and help for free, even if you come in and say, “I can be here two days a week to help out.” I can tell you that I’ve had several interns who have gone on to bigger and better things, and I have someone with a master’s degree interning now. She’s learning a lot and learning well.”

RAPHAELLA LIMA

Global Music Partnerships, Electronic Arts

What different types of music might you find yourself using or pitching for a game title?

“Here at EA, we release dozens of titles a year, and when picking music, it’s a combination of looking at the game itself, who we are marketing it to, and the personality or musical strategy we have defined for that title.

We have different categories of games as well. There are the mission-based or first-person shooters, and most of them will be matched with an originally composed score. For those, we will work with the best music composers available to create an interactive score soundtrack. Medal of Honor, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Battlefield are some examples.

Another large category is sports titles. Our philosophy here is to look ahead, predict the future. It’s really about finding those new bands and new musical trends that are on their way up and will be happening around the time we release a title. We may also look for elements such as tempo and energy, depending on the title and the personality it has adopted.

NHL, for example, is a combination of new and established artists, leaning on rock with a very anthemic and arena-quality sound. There are a lot of new acts launched in the game that end up having songs become a staple in the arenas for the live sporting events.

FIFA, as another example, has the vision to represent as many different countries and cultures when building the soundtrack. Being Brazilian and a huge soccer fan, I also try to capture the soul of the sport and the emotional moments, so in that game, you might hear something very up-tempo, but you might hear something pretty laid back. Sometimes you may think that a slower song wouldn’t fit in a video game, but it does!

There are other titles, like The Sims, where it’s a combination of composed and licensed music, but if it is licensed music, the vocalists are required to go back into the studio to recut their vocals in “Simlish.” It’s a very unique approach, and the team has worked with everybody from the Black Eyed Peas to Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Katy Perry, Lilly Allen, and the Pussycat Dolls . . . the list goes on . . . to re-create their hits in the game’s language.”

How involved are you personally in the actual creative process for music development?

“Well, that is our primary role. My department works together with the producer, director, executive producer, or whoever might be at the other end of a game title and in charge of the game’s vision. We sit and identify what the goals are for the title, what the target audience is, and how we might approach the music in that particular version or year. Our job is to define a music strategy and deliver it; my job is mostly creative.

That’s great! Music supervision for video games sounds quite different from the music supervisor position in episodic TV programming or film.

Yes, it’s very different. I’m working on an independent documentary right now, and it’s a very different experience. Most of the time, you’re presenting them with creative ideas, but a lot of time is spent just going out and “clearing” what they want. At EA, we have a licensing team of three people that focuses solely on music rights and clearance. Once a song is chosen for the game, they negotiate fees and contracts. You wear a lot of different hats.”

What’s the biggest challenge of your job?

“I think one of our biggest challenges is how the music industry is changing and being affected by technology. Artists now finish recording an album and can immediately put it out in the market, making it a bit harder to stay ahead of its curve.

Another thing that I find difficult is trying to explain a new trend or creative approach to the corporate executive who has his mind set on AC/DC for the trailer to a game. You have to put on your marketing and sales hat in order to illustrate why your proposal is much more relevant to the culture and consumer of a particular game, and that by using the track we suggest, the product will gain that much more prominence in the marketplace.”

Aside from being organized and a multitasker, what skills do you think are the most important for a music supervisor in gaming?

“Well, you do need to understand the world of rights and licensing—what it takes to clear a song, et cetera. Like, a rock track can be very different to license than a hip-hop track. You need to have an understanding of what things cost and the reality of getting specific songs for the budget that you have. You also need to know your artists and understand if they are willing to be associated with a violent game or certain type of content (some aren’t willing to do that). Additionally, you need to master negotiation skills.

You need to have a real understanding of current and upcoming trends in music and be very resourceful; you also must understand your audience and the product you are servicing.

As someone who has been in this line of work for a long time, what do you think the future of the music industry holds?

I think it’s very exciting, honestly. I know that the record business itself isn’t thriving right now, but artists, who are real artists, have a chance to shine and own their ground.

     Music is becoming more of a multifaceted art form. I see us going back to complete artistry, to the days where you pick up an album with not just an amazing collection of songs but with unbelievable artwork and a story behind it; videos and all of that. Of course, it may not be an album we will be picking up. Still, it will be a complete experience that is led and inspired by music and immediately translated into different languages (mediums).

So, there you have it! Music Supervisors have a great job that’s both creative and full of responsibility, and reward. I wish you much success with your music and career. If you have questions, please reach out to me at gigwithmikeredman@gmail.com.

MICHAEL REDMAN is an award-winning composer, engineer, director, producer and author. He has been a serial entrepreneur for most of his career, having started over nine companies, including The Hard Rock Academy, PowerHouse Music Library, and BackStage Fan. Redman has also published three books, two of which focus on the Best Jobs in the Film and Music Business and his highly regarded visual entertainment company RedHouse was one of the largest Film Production and Technology firms in the Southeast. Currently, Redman is a career coach for people in the entertainment industry, and he is launching a streaming entertainment network, which he says is… “very, very secret!” He is the host of the podcast ‘GIG with Mike Redman’ available at the Music Connection home page.

House concerts are not a new thing. There is a long tradition in the folk world that dates back to the ’60s. However, they seem to have had a massive resurgence over the past decade of singer-songwriters trading in club touring for house shows. Personally, I’ve played about 30 house concerts and these shows have been some of my favorite (and most profitable) shows of my career. Nothing beats the connection of a room full of supporters sitting merely feet from you, soaking up every note, every word, and every beat. A living room concert is one of the most memorable concert experiences a fan (and artist) will ever have. 

And house concerts aren’t just for tiny singer-songwriters. Artists like Vance Joy, David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion), Jeremy Messersmith, Julia Nunes, Califone, Mirah, Laura Gibson, Tim Kasher of Cursive, S. Carey, Richard Buckner, Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and John Vanderslice have set up house concert tours over the past few years. 

With house shows you don’t have to deal with bad sound guys, drunk a**holes, empty clubs, or the headache of promotion. Shannon Curtis has a great book on how to book a house concert tour, called No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K on a 2-Month House Concert Tour (And How You Can Too), which I highly recommend if you’re thinking of getting into the house concert game. You can also check out ConcertsInYourHome, which is a community of house concert hosts around the world. If you are accepted as an artist into the network, you can set up full tours to cities you’ve never visited in great homes of acoustic fans. Or, Side Door, a newer startup that similarly connects hosts and touring artists. More on Side Door in a moment. 

And when Covid shut down the entire live music industry, many DIYers got creative, putting on drive-in, driveway and backyard concerts. We at Ari’s Take put on a drive-in concert in the summer of 2020. This was one of the first concerts to take place since lockdown in Los Angeles County. The artist Annabel Lee headlined the event and celebrated the release of her song “Los Angeles.” We promoted it on Instagram and required fans to text her (SMS service) for more info (which auto- returned a link to buy tickets). We sold tickets (price per car—people packed their household into their cars) through Splash and hosted the concert at a friend of a friend of a friend’s big open lot (because the owner of the parking lot we had originally booked got Covid five days before the show!). Fortunately, we didn’t release the location, via text, until the day before the show. 

We handed out an instruction sheet to every car (via a grabber stick), which had instructions on how to tune in (via the car radio), how to buy merch, social, stream and download links (via QR code, of course). We had a dedicated merch person managing the Venmo account, running around to cars with their merch items.

The show went off without a hitch. Live music had been officially shut down for four months at this point, and this concert was desperately needed by Annabel, her band, her fans and everyone else involved.

After having his summer 2020 tour canceled, Toronto-based singer-songwriter John Muirhead reached out to his local community offering driveway concerts and booked 10 driveway concerts in the Toronto area. And then in early 2021, once he had started to build up his TikTok presence, he compiled some footage from the previous summer into a little advertisement-style video. It spread on TikTok extremely quickly (racking up nearly 30,000 views) and returned more requests for driveway concerts in Ontario than he could handle (hashtags worked wonders). John filled up his entire calendar with these throughout 2021. He charged hosts a guaranteed minimum around $200–300 CAD, and averaged around $7 CAD per head in merch sales. Win!

The Nova Scotia–based company Side Door, co-founded by singer-songwriter Dan Mangan and music industry professional Laura Simpson, connects artists with hosts and helps them facilitate private concerts—both in person and online. All payments are taken digitally, and the money is kept in escrow until the show happens. The host and artist negotiate a payment split on the platform. They have name-your-price ticketing, global transactions, and geotargeting. Artists can even facilitate tours by automatically selecting the locations they are looking to tour to, and the registered hosts in those areas get notifications and can decide whether to host the artist.

Side Door currently has 3,000 venues and hosts registered in North America (mostly in Canada), and more popping up in Europe and around the world. They’ve facilitated shows with Vance Joy, Broken Social Scene, Feist, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Odell, Said the Whale and thousands of others.

The quirk-rock band More Fatter set out on a 43-date backyard concert tour in the summer of 2021. Half the shows were ticketed ($30 through Eventbrite), and the other half were $30 suggested donation. Some shows had 50+ people packed into the backyard. And other shows where they didn’t have much of a base and the host didn’t promote it super well had 5–10. They sold T- shirts for $40 and burned CDs of new demos for $20. They completely sold out of all their merch after multiple reorders. They toured in a 2005 Toyota Sienna and crashed on couches to keep expenses down. In two months, they made $25,000. That’s the thing with house concerts. It’s such a magical experience that you can get away with selling your merch much higher than you would at a club. It’s much more personal. People aren’t simply buying your merch for the item, they’re buying it as a souvenir from the night. And to have a special connection with you when they make the transaction.

THE BOOKING

The beauty of house concerts is that you only need one superpassionate fan per city to set up a house concert. Put out feelers to your email list and on social sites. Set a guarantee plus a percentage of tickets, or you can play for tips. 

You’ll have to designate Fridays and Saturdays (or Sunday afternoons) for house concerts, since most hosts have 9-to-5 jobs and won’t want to organize it for a weekday. But some may. 

Plan your house concerts about two to three months in advance. Give your hosts plenty of time to invite guests and get excited. 

You’ll want to tour with an amp or PA (and all mics/stands/cords) to plug in your guitar, keyboard and vocal mic. The host will most likely know nothing about sound and have zero sound equipment. You should be able to set up anywhere and play. Don’t forget your extension cords and power strips. 

The email I send out to potential hosts usually looks something like this:
(Feel free to copy whatever you want)

Ari Herstand
Living Room Concert! 

What the . . .? 

I’d like to set up shows in people’s living rooms/backyards/dorm lounges/etc. and have a very intimate experience—something that isn’t necessarily possible in many clubs I play. I’m going to play many new, unreleased songs for these performances—many songs that translate very well to the living room, but maybe not so well to the club. 

Interested? 

If you’d like to host a living room concert, all you need to do is reply and fill in the information below and I’ll get back to you with possible dates for your area. I need you to bring at least 20 people to the concert—hey you have home turf advantage! 

What I charge. 

The concert costs $450 + 80% of admission after $450 is met. This means, if you charge $25 a head (what I recommend) and 30 people show up, that equals a total of $750. I end up with $690 (you end up with $60) at the end of the night. If 12 people show up, that equals a total of $300. I end up with $450 at the end of the night (you have to cover the remaining $150). If you’re confident you can bring 18 people at $25 a head, everyone who lives in the house basically gets a free concert because I don’t charge the hosts and hostesses. Just so you know, this is much lower than my normal “private concert” rate, but because I want people who really dig my music—dare I call them fans—to be able to afford this and not have to pay an exorbitant amount out of pocket, I’ve reduced my rate for these house concerts. I used to take 100% after $450, but I’ve added the 20% to the host idea to give you an incentive to provide simple snacks/drinks for your guests and so you don’t lose money. 

What to provide. 

All you need to provide is a big enough space to hold everyone. Also, make sure my performance space (corner) is well lit with upright bright lamps or something and then the rest of the room can be dim with candles or other lamps. People are most comfortable sitting on chairs, couches, benches, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc., so it would be great if you had enough seating for everyone. Maybe encourage people to bring a pillow, blanket, or lawn chair to sit on if you don’t have enough chairs. Make sure you have a key person who will collect money from everyone at some point. 

Timing

The concert will last about 2 hours. The first 45 minutes I’ll play an acoustic, mostly unplugged (chill) set. Then take a 15-minute intermission and the next hour will be a full looping show—plugged in. Make sure your neighbors are OK with this. Won’t get too loud, though. I’m looking to start at 7:30 for most places.

Notes for this experience: 

Please let your guests know that this is an intimate, private concert by a touring musician. 

This is not a party. Promote my music to all guests and get them excited about the music if they don’t already know my stuff. This is not a drinking party with your best bud providing the entertainment. While alcohol is absolutely okay (and encouraged if somehow a Guinness ends up in my hand), this is not a time to get wasted. 

Also, please inform your guests, maybe at the start (because I don’t want to look like the bad guy), that talking is very uncool during the performance. 

Anything else? 

I’ll most likely need a place to crash that night, so if you have a couch, that would be fantastic. If you provide dinner for me, as well, I’ll love you forever. 

Please fill in this info and I’ll get back to you with open dates: 

City, State: 

Are you in high school or college (please list where): 

If in high school list parent’s name:

and email: 

How many live with you (are they okay with this): 

Do you live in a house, dorm, apartment, etc. (elaborate): 

Expected number of attendees: 

Where will this be held (living room, backyard, dorm lounge, etc. please elaborate): 

Exact Address: 

Contact Phone Number: 

Hopefully I’ll see you soon!  ~Ari 

And once you confirm a date, make sure you send them a confirmation email.
Here’s what I use:

Details: 

Saturday, March 17 

Contact: Mickey Mouse 

Phone Number: 612-555-5555 

Exact Address: 

1234 Beautiful Lane 

St. Paul, MN 55104 

7:30–9:30 (you can change this if need be) 

$25 a person (hosts excluded) 

$450 guarantee + 80% of cover after $450 

Make public (upon request) or keep private? 

Load in: 6:00 

Sound check: 6:30 

Provided equipment: lamps to light my performance area (corner), mood lighting for the rest of the room 

Sleeping accommodations? yes 

**CANCELLATION POLICY 

Because I am routing a tour around this show, once this is confirmed, we cannot cancel it. Please do not confirm this unless you are certain you can afford the concert and/or can get enough people to attend. If you have to cancel the show less than 3 weeks before the date, I will still need to receive 70% of payment. 

Please confirm these details and we’re set! 

Thanks!  ~Ari

Customize this for you

People have organized pot lucks, birthday, graduation and anniversary parties around these. You will have a lot of fun with house concerts, and even if you’re a full band, as long as you tour with a full PA system, you can set up backyard and basement concerts. 

You will build lifelong fans this way. Attendees get a very personal experience, get to hang out with you before and after the show, and typically buy tons of merch. 

Make sure you pass around the mailing list clipboard or iPad and get every single person’s email who comes. If 30 people show up, the next time through you can book a club and you can estimate that each of them will bring at least 1 more person and now you have a solid 60 for your club show. 

Shannon Curtis typically works solely on tips and merch sales for her living room concerts, and it has worked out very well for her. If you’re just starting out, you can go this route, as well. But make sure the host discusses the importance of the tip jar (she advises not to include a suggested donation because if you say the show is worth $10, no one will drop a twenty in). The tip jar (and merch) should be placed right near the front door so it absolutely cannot be missed. 

Companies like Sofar Sounds, Side Door and ConcertsInYourHome organize (or help artists and fans organize) house concerts. Sofar Sounds has set up intimate, living shows with oftentimes famous artists like Hozier and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

House concerts are a beautiful, unforgettable experience for everyone involved. •

Ari Herstand is the CEO and founder of the music business education company Ari’s Take and its online school Ari’s Take Academy as well as the host of the Webby Award winning New Music Business podcast. He is the author of the book How To Make It in the New Music Business which is a No. 1 best seller in 3 categories on Amazon and is being taught in over 300 universities in the U.S. and has been translated into multiple languages. As a musician he has played over 1,000 shows all over the world and has released 4 albums. As a speaker he has spoken at SXSW, Music Biz, BBC One Introducing, NAMM, SF MusicTech, Berklee College of Music and UCLA. He fronts the 1970s original funk/soul immersive concert theatrical experience, Brassroots District.

As musicians, we all ponder the role of personal managers, those guiding lights who can shape our journey. They navigate us toward our artistic vision while deftly handling the nitty-gritty of the music business. Picture them as our champions, hyping us to the right business contacts, unveiling hidden opportunities, securing sponsorships, and orchestrating epic tours. They’re the backbone that ensures everyone involved is pulling their weight and more.

But here’s the thing: personal managers don’t grow on trees; they’re a hard-earned privilege. Truth is, until we’ve made some headway on our own, those seasoned managers with clout may not bat an eye in our direction. If we sit around waiting to be rescued without making our own strides, well, our musical journey might just veer into the abyss.

That’s why it’s crucial to grasp the diverse management options available to us musicians. From the DIY approach to linking up with established professional management, there’s a path for everyone. But before we dig into those essential routes, let’s quickly walk through the myriad roles a personal music manager can undertake. So, hang tight and read on, fellow musicians, as we embark on this enlightening voyage together.

Excerpted from the book Business Basics for Musicians, 2nd Edition

© 2023 By Bobby Borg

PART 1:

THE ROLE OF A PERSONAL MANAGER IN YOUR CAREER

By strict definition, a personal manager advises and counsels artists in all aspects of the new music business. This may include artist development, project management, touring, contracts and income streams, and so much more. 

A. Artist Development

The manager may assist with the development of an artist’s career via the following activities: 

•Encouraging You to Get Your Brand Together: Inspiring you to polish up your brand—from your artist name and logo, to what you wear and say in public, to the charities and other organizations and brands with whom you associate. 

•Assisting with Your Sound and Songs: Inspiring you to polish up your compositions and musical sound. If needed, the manager may even help set you up with songwriting consultants, cowriters, and producers, and help you find complete songs to record and perform. 

•Helping You to Improve Live Performances and Merch: Inspiring you to perfect the quality of your live performances (set list flow, presence, etc.) and merchandising designs (T-shirts, hats, stickers, etc.). And finally . . . 

•Helping You Build—and Monitor—Your Fan Base: Encouraging you to strengthen your connections with fans, including improving your social media content strategies on sites like Instagram and TikTok (or other), finding ways to get fans’ assistance with promotion and spreading the word-of-mouth, and ultimately getting fans to engage with you more personally through monetized crowdfunding platforms and Patreon. Additionally, your manager will help you to monitor fans through the use of various analytical tools and artificial intelligence to gain insights and make smarter decisions.

B. Contracts and New Income Streams

Your manager may also help initiate various business deals by doing the following: 

•Setting Up Meetings and Seeking Out Future Opportunities: Setting up meetings with potential co-writers, publishers, merchandisers, sponsors, and record companies, and seeking out immersive opportunities in the metaverse, digital asset stores and NFT marketplaces, and—when you’re a huge star—catalog sales via top music investors.

•Researching the Right Deals: Researching which companies and representatives are best suited to your talents and musical style, based not only on a company’s past signings or successes, but also on its financial stability, management capabilities and understanding of your vision.

•Recommending You Find Legal Counsel: Providing recommendations for legal counsel to help shop your music to various companies and review important contract terms that are relevant to the new—and ever-changing—music industry. And finally . . . 

•Working Collaboratively with Your Attorney: Communicating with your attorney about important contract deal points, but knowing when to step aside and let the attorney do their job. 

C. Project Management 

When, and if, you sign a recording agreement, your manager may also assist by doing this: 

•Getting Everyone at the Label Excited About Your Career: Lighting the fire under the label’s ass and trying to make sure that you will be a top priority. 

•Monitoring Pre-Release and Post-Release Activities: Providing marketing ideas regarding the branding, price, place, promotion and measuring of your records, and fighting tactfully for what is best for your career. And finally . . .

•Meeting with Departments: Meeting with the various departments at the record label, (new media, licensing, press, sales, marketing and radio promotion), and to make sure that everyone is talking and working in concert to further your professional career. 

D. Hybrid Services: Merch, Publishing, and More

As if the above tasks were not enough, some management companies operating under newer business models may even assist your career by doing the following:

•Providing Label Services: Handling all matters concerning the funding, recording, manufacturing, distributing, promoting and monitoring of a record, in addition to all other management services. Said another way, the management company is a label, or the label is a management company—however you see it. 

•Providing Publishing Services: Seeking creative uses of your songs in film, TV, games, and podcasts, issuing licenses to music users for the use of your songs, and collecting all income generated by these uses. And finally . . . 

•Providing Merchandising Services: Helping design and manufacture effective merch that sells, helping the group sell merch on the road and via retail outlets, and seeking sub-licenses to expand the product line. And finally….

•Providing Digital Marketing and Advertising Services: Acting as a digital marketing service in influencer marketing campaigns, advertising campaigns, email marketing brand sponsorships, and general social media management. 

E. Live Engagements and Touring

Moving on to another role, a personal manager may also assist with the following: 

•Securing a Talent Agent: Helping you to find a licensed talent agent who specifically works on procuring live performances. Your manager will work together with this agent to determine which tours are best for you, to make sure that you’re getting the best offers from concert promoters, and even to help direct your performances from city to city. 

•Working with Your Business Manager: Helping you find a business manager who specializes in the music business, and working together with him or her to ensure that your tours are properly budgeted. Hotel accommodations, transportation, stage crews, and other expenses will be closely examined in an effort to minimize expenses and ensure that you turn a profit (or at least cover expenses). And finally . . . 

•Hiring a Tour Manager: Hiring a “tour manager” who is responsible for keeping a watchful eye on all business matters from city to city, night after night. This could mean checking you in to hotels, “advancing” the shows (making sure that each venue has the proper accommodations in place for you), “settling” money with promoters at the end of each night, babysitting, and bailing you out of jail—seriously!

F. Physical and Mental Health Issues

Finally, once an artist is successful, a great manager can assist the artist in the following ways: 

• Monitoring Physical and Mental Health: Looking out for the artist’s health and well-being, and knowing when to say no to that extra morning radio show, public appearance, podcast interview, or leg of the tour. 

•Checking in with the Artist: Checking in with the artist and simply asking him or her, “How are you doing?” Said another way, the manager checks the goose that is hatching the golden eggs, rather than just focusing on the golden eggs. This is important. Artists are known to break down when they’re pushed too hard. Elvis Presley is one classic example. Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber are more recent examples. 

Turning Bad into Good: POST Malone and IGGY Azalea

Dre London, Post Malone’s manager, highlights another role of personal managers—turning bad into good.  

London discovered that Malone’s upcoming album had been leaked online. This could have been a major setback for the album’s release and promotion, potentially affecting its sales and reception.

However, instead of letting the leak derail their plans, London and team decided to turn it into a marketing opportunity. They created a scavenger hunt on Twitter, where they released different snippets of the leaked songs and hid clues for fans to find the full tracks.

This not only generated excitement and engagement among Post Malone’s fanbase, but also helped increase the album’s visibility and anticipation. When the album, Hollywood’s Bleeding: The Director’s Cut, was officially released, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and became one of the best-selling albums of the year. Totally fire! 

In another example of turning bad into good, T.I., Iggy Azalea’s manager at the time, helped Azalea avoid a major PR disaster and instead turned it into a positive experience. 

Iggy Azalea was set to perform at the Pittsburgh Pride festival, which was a highly anticipated event for the LGBTQ+ community. However, a Twitter user resurfaced old tweets from Azalea containing homophobic and racist remarks, which caused a backlash and calls for her to be removed from the lineup.

T.I. could have suggested Azalea issue an apology and let the situation play out. Instead, he came up with a creative solution. T.I. suggested that Azalea use the opportunity to educate herself on LGBTQ+ issues and work closely with the community to make amends.

Azalea agreed and as a result was eventually welcomed back by the LGBTQ+ community. Make no mistake, folks, turning bad into good is a major role of the manager.•

PART 2:

Management Options

Now that you understand what a manager does, we can discuss the various management options available to you. The most common choices, depending on how far along you are in your career, are self-management, start-up management, and established professional management.

A. Self-Management (DIY or DIE) 

In the early stages of your career, good management must always begin with the artist. Unless one of your relatives happens to be a record label or publishing company president, no one is going to help you until you first help yourself!

As your self-manager, consider the self-assessment checklist below to determine whether or not you are doing all the right things.

• Have you given serious thought to your long-term career vision? 

• Have you written a large repertoire of songs or even cowritten with professionals?

• Have you professionally recorded, mixed, mastered, and packaged your music?

• Have you developed a consistent and unique brand (name, logo, look, attitude)?

• Have you learned to properly release your music in streaming and physical formats?

• Have you mastered your marketing game both online and offline, as well?  

• Have you developed creative methods of connecting/engaging with your fans? 

• Have you amassed respectful analytics (streams, social numbers, reviews)?

• Have you developed a kick-ass live show and amassed a respectful local draw?

• Have you attempted to hit the road playing colleges, festivals, other events?

• Have you created a line of merch (T-shirts, hats, etc.) and generated decent sales?

• Have you aligned with any product sponsors and formed symbiotic relationships?

• Have you pitched your music in synch (film, TV, games) and secured placements?

• Have you attended industry conferences (NAMM, SXSW) and built a network?

• Have you subscribed to the trades/podcasts and got a grip on the new music biz?

• Have you made an effort to keep up with emerging trends (NFTs, Web 3, AI)?

• Have you found methods to pay bills, set goals, and manage your time like a pro?

Musicians often believe that the solution to their problems is finding someone to whisk them up from rehearsal room to superstardom. An experienced manager can make good things happen fast, but he or she is not a solution for your laziness. This is the digital age, where doing it yourself is far easier than ever before. Bottom line: you must generate some action on your own—and prove that you don’t need any help—in order to give managers a valid reason to want to work with you.  

B. Start-Up Management

After you’ve reached a point in your career when you’ve done all the things mentioned in the list above, and you just can’t go any further without a helping hand, then perhaps you’re ready for a start-up manager. This might include one of the following: 

• A Friend: A close friend who’s willing to make phone calls and help promote shows without getting paid for the first few months or years. In fact, he may not even be called a “manager” at all, working with the understanding that as soon as your career progresses, he will be replaced by an established professional manager and offered some other position with the band. 

• A Retired Musician: An experienced musician who wants to “right all the wrongs” she encountered in her professional career, and has got all the passion and drive needed to set you on course. 

• A Businessperson: An educated businessperson who’s always dreamed of being in the entertainment business and has the desire to live those dreams through you.

• A Club Owner: A club owner in your hometown who sees hundreds of bands perform each year. This individual has a good idea of what works and what doesn’t and is willing to offer you an objective point of view and career guidance. And finally . . . 

• An Intern: An intern or junior assistant of a professional manager by day who’s looking to cut his teeth on managing his own artist on his downtime at night. He’s got the advantage of having his boss’ ear for guidance and observing how a professional office is run all day.

While start-up managers may not be the most experienced folks, don’t underestimate their value. They can be some of the most loyal and hardworking people around, and they’ll stick with you through the tough times. And who knows, they may even grow into being legends. Look at Andrew Oldham. He started out with the Rolling Stones when he was just 17, and he became one of the most successful managers of all time. Johnny Wright started managing New Kids on The Block at just 18, and he also went on to manage Jonas Brothers and Justin Timberlake. Impressive! 

C. Established Professional Management

Finally, if you’re able to create serious momentum in your career (get millions of streams, start generating some income, and/or attract labels and publishers), then established professional managers will be more interested in working with you. You might be referred to these folks via your record label, or they might seek you out. Let’s look at mid-level and big-league managers.

Mid-Level Managers 

Mid-level managers are those who have a great deal of experience in the industry but have not quite broken a band into superstardom. Maybe they have one client on their roster who was able to amass several million Spotify streams and social media followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok (or other), but they still don’t have that bonified superstar artist yet—and that’s what they’re shooting for! They are typically well liked in the industry and have a big enough network to open some doors for you. 

However, the problem with mid-level managers is that they are not as powerful as big-league managers, and therefore it may take them longer to get things done.

Big-League Managers

Big-league managers (like Irving Azoff, Scooter Braun and Coran Capshaw) have been around for years and have lots of Grammy-winning superstars on their rosters. The relationships they’ve formed, the respect they’ve earned, and the favors they can trade give them the power to make things happen with just a few phone calls. 

However, the problem is that you could easily get lost in the sauce. This means that you get overshadowed by their more profitable clients. I was with a group that had one of the most successful rock management companies in the word (one that handles Metallica), and we never even did one date with the band or really much of anything at all. We soon left the management. 

Qualities of the Manager 

There are dozens of experienced, professional, established managers out there, any one of whom is capable of doing the job. The important thing is picking the one who really wants to work with you. 

Don’t just pick a manager who has the biggest stars on his or her roster, takes you out to the most expensive restaurant, or makes the biggest promises. 

Above all, your manager must possess a genuine enthusiasm for your music, an understanding of your vision, and a commitment to going the long haul. Of course, they must also come highly recommended from people you respect, and they must be trustworthy.

Be sure to read the biographies of some of the most interesting managers of all time and make note of some of the other character traits that you admire. One I’d like to recommend is the story of the Rolling Stones manager titled Stoned: Andrew Loog Oldham. Oldham understood branding and how to create the Stones’ “bad boy” image; he was an innovative thinker and helped the Stones retain ownership in their masters; and he knew how to form the right alliances for the band (he connected them with the Beatles). 

Another manager you might want to read up on is Scooter Braun. Scooter was a strong believer in social media (long before it was the industry norm), and had a knack for spotting hidden talent online, notably Justin Bieber. He also knew how to form the right alliances for Bieber by hooking him up with Usher, who was very instrumental in furthering Bieber’s career. 

So, what traits are important to you? Be sure to give this some thought. •

BOBBY BORG is a music industry professor at USC, author, and YouTuber at youtube.com/bobbyborg. He is the author of Music Marketing for the DIY Musician, Business Basics For Musicians, and Introduction to Music Publishing. He is the co-author (with Britt Hastey) of Personal Finance for Musicians.

“Funky Nothingness delivers on all fronts, showcasing Zappa’s love for rhythm and blues, picking up where Hot Rats left off with extended instrumental work-outs fusing rock, jazz, and classical elements into music that can only be described as ZAPPA.” – Joe Travers, Zappa Vaultmeister

In 1969, after The Mothers of Invention disbanded, Frank Zappa released his groundbreaking solo debut, Hot Rats. Fusing jazz and rock, the innovative album became one of the artist’s bestselling releases, thanks to classic tracks like “Peaches En Regalia” and “Willie the Pimp.”

Over the following year, in between various projects (including producing Captain Beefheart’s debut, Trout Mask Replica, and emceeing Belgium’s Festival Actuel, where Zappa met British drummer Aynsley Dunbar), he assembled a core group to lay down tracks at Los Angeles’ recently opened Record Plant studio on 3rd street.

A June media announcement from UMe detailed the Funky Nothingness product. 

"The sessions, which took place primarily in February and March 1970 at the new studio, featured Zappa once again in the producer’s chair and joined by several of the musicians that played on Hot Rats, including Mothers member Ian Underwood (keyboard, saxophone, rhythm guitar), violinist and vocalist Don “Sugarcane” Harris, and Wrecking Crew bassist Max Bennett.

 "The five-piece band was rounded out by Aynsley Dunbar, who had just relocated to Los Angeles and moved in with Zappa following his invite to join the band.

Group shot photo by Henry Diltz, Courtesy of Gary Strobl at the Diltz archive. 

"Together the group recorded hours’ worth of original compositions, inspired covers and extended improvisations that drew from Zappa’s R&B and blues roots, while blending influences of the emerging jazz fusion scene. Largely instrumental, these recordings showcased the guitarist’s virtuosity, while offering what could have easily been the sequel to Hot Rats, had it ever been released.

"While Zappa identified his favorite takes and mixed the tracks for eventual release, the wildly prolific musician’s insatiable musical curiosity pulled him in other directions as the year wore on. It’s not known exactly why this material was never released but it’s possible that upon meeting Flo & Eddie, the comedy rock duo of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, shortly after the sessions, Zappa was inspired to work with them and assembled a bigger band and moved away from instrumental compositions and more toward vocally oriented material. Flo & Eddie would join the Mothers for Zappa’s Chunga’s Revenge album, recorded mostly that summer and released in October of that year.

"By the end of 1970, Zappa was well into writing and developing his film, 200 Motels and the accompanying soundtrack. All the while this  material was put on the backburner.

"Listening back to the tapes from these sessions, which have been unearthed from Zappa’s massive Vault more than five decades later, Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers and Ahmet Zappa knew that they had something special. Working with the tracks that Zappa had produced, mixed, and worked on over the years, they compiled an 11-track album, naming it Funky Nothingness after a bluesy, stripped-down piece that the artist had recorded in 1967 at the end of one of the sessions for Uncle Meat.

"Originally intended to open an early version of Chunga’s Revenge, the short, unreleased track 'sets the tone for the album,' explains Travers.

"Although the track was recorded a few years before most of the music presented here, Zappa eventually connected it a build reel, signaling he was planning a release. While a couple recordings from these sessions have been released over the years (fans may remember the 12-minute version of “Sharleena” from 1996’s posthumous collection, Lost Episodes), Funky Nothingness introduces these recordings as a cohesive collection for the very first time.

'“Funky Nothingness, as an album, is special in that it features at least three written compositions, three cover versions and multiple instrumental jam-oriented segments, all previously unreleased,' Travers explains. “It’s very rare to find that amount of music from one set of sessions that has gone unheard for such a long period of time.”

Produced and compiled by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers, Funky Nothingness was released June 30 via Zappa Records/UMe in a variety of formats, including a three-disc expanded deluxe edition that presents the 11-track album on disc 1 along with two discs of outtakes, alternate edits, unedited masters of songs from the era, plus several  improvisations, and other “bonus nothingness.”

"In all, the 25-track collection includes 23 unreleased tracks totaling nearly three and a half hours of never-before-heard music. The Funky Nothingness album is also available as a double LP on both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition clear violet 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Optimal, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl consists of Zappa’s vintage mixes of the tracks. There's a limited edition color pressing, which includes a collectible guitar pick, is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl.

  "All three discs implement takes of “Chunga’s Revenge,” which would serve as the title track to Zappa’s actual follow-up to Hot Rats, released in October 1970. The “Basement Version,” found on the main album, was recorded in Zappa’s basement at home in Laurel Canyon using a 4-channel quadrophonic set-up, nearly three years before the format was made available to the consumer. Zappa then created a stereo mix down from the quad track which is what is included here.  

"Perhaps most importantly, these recordings were an unusually rare find, reveals Travers. “With archival releases from the vault, it is normal to find different arrangements of past tunes featured in live concerts and studio settings with other bands, but actual NEW compositions are few and far between, especially from within Zappa’s golden years of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

"Funky Nothingness delivers on all fronts, showcasing Zappa’s love for rhythm and blues, picking up where Hot Rats left off with extended instrumental work-outs fusing rock, jazz, and classical elements into music that can only be described as ZAPPA. The guitar work and virtuoso musicianship are in full effect.”

During 2013 I conducted an interview with Howard Kaylan. In 1966, Howard attended the Zappa and Mothers of Invention Freak Out! Tom Wilson-produced recording sessions in Hollywood. Kaylan and Volman, co-founders of the Turtles,  were mainstays in Zappa's 1970-71 recording and touring world. 

 "Back in that era in 1966 and ’67, before ‘Happy Together’ hit, and we were still L.A. street people working in the same clubs and stuff, there was enough of a camaraderie there. Not only though our knowing him, but also through Herb Cohen and going to the Zappa Log Cabin in Laurel Canyon.

“I worshipped We’re Only In It For The Money, one of the greatest rock records of all time. The cover art, too. It was better to me than The Beatles were at the time. There was a lot more content. A lot more undertone. A lot more sub-plot. A lot more ‘Wake Up America’ kind of thing. Whether it was real or imagined, I thought that Frank was the most brilliant writer that I had ever seen. Socially, since Dylan. I loved The Beatles stuff, and not to take away from it, but this was new. I wore out copies of it. 8-track. I had it every place.

 “I loved him and the records. He was singing about growing up. I was trying to sing about growing up, too. It wasn’t that far apart. Nobody made distinctions in that canyon of dreams back then as to what type of music you were doing. If you were Lester Chambers and you were living in that canyon Joni Mitchell didn’t question what kind of music you were doing. Nobody did. Everybody was in there for themselves. To make their music shine for a minute while the bright stars were already living there. We didn’t want to change things. We wanted so badly to be a part of it that finding our place was so important. I’m not sure as Turtles we ever found our place but as Mothers we sort of busted out of our comfort zone a little bit. I think the Turtles were comfortable for us. Because it was just the Cross Fires, a [Westchester] high school band, so we could always fall back on our memories and our school yard stuff.

“The contact that I had with Frank was mostly through Herb Cohen. We’re like third cousins. Herb Cohen was at my Bar Mitzvah. Mark and I went to see Frank locally on the UCLA campus at Pauley Pavilion with conductor Zubin Mehta in May, 1970.

"Well for me, it wasn’t so much we did on stage it was his demeanor off stage that made him paternal to me. On stage he was a band leader and we were guys for hire. The fact that we got away with improv only meant we were smart enough to know when to get out of a bit in time for the music to come in. That’s what Frank respected.

"You could go off book as long as you got right back. No beats were lost and something was added. If you added something to the routine it was always appreciated and repeated if you could on a nightly basis or made to be part of the folk lore in some way. If it was not appreciated, Frank would let you know right on stage in no uncertain terms that this was not the time nor the place for that kind of thing. And later you would discuss it with him. It wouldn’t be a slap on the hand parent kind of talk. It would be very familial, more brotherly than paternal. But something that I never had before. Which was an older figure that I respected respecting me back. The only other older figures in my life had been agents and managers who pretty much lied to me."       

In 2016 I spoke with Mark Volman about Zappa.

"I was a big fan of Frank early on. Howard and I from the Turtles were around the Freak Out! recording sessions and we later saw Frank and the Mothers of Invention in New York in 1967 when Frank and that band had a residency at the Garrick Theatre. We were invited to Frank’s apartment in New York after one of the shows.

“Herb Cohen, Frank’s manager, invited us to go to the UCLA show with Zubin Mehta in 1970.  Herb was a second cousin of Howard Kaylan, my partner in the Turtles. We knew the ‘California mentality’ that defined Frank. We bonded over doo-wop and soul music.

“After the UCLA show we were asked backstage.  Frank then invited us that weekend to a barbeque at the Zappa’s house. We brought our families. Frank told us to bring our saxophones. He took us downstairs to the ‘dungeon of horror’ and played some music for Howard and me. He quickly saw that we were not sax players.

"He said, ‘Look, we’re going over to England for eight shows. How would you like to come along and sing?’ We also did some US shows and recorded with him for the first time a piece of music that came out on Chunga’s Revenge. We did some other songs in the studio with Frank including ‘Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink’ and ‘Would You Go All The Way?’  

“Frank was a Mother but we were Turtles, and he always wanted to know about our experiences.  He thought we were stars. To him, the Turtles were like the Beatles. ‘What was that like?’  We told him a story about groupies. With that story began a two year relationship culminating in the motion picture, 200 Motels. Frank let us go through a litany of Los Angeles things that were in the live Fillmore East album. We were singing the praises of one of the greatest cities in the world. Like Frank, we were Los Angeles children. 200 Motels becomes the embodiment of our time with Frank. And we did Just Another Band From L.A. with him. After Chunga’s Revenge, we had what I used to call, ‘studio survival sessions,’ which is music he had recorded live and then we would work on it in the studio and clean it up. Some of those recordings were taped in concert. He recorded every show we did over 2 years.

“Rehearsing with Frank was scary. He was the embodiment of a union man. There was never a time for fun. Putting together ‘Billy the Mountain’ was a series of vignettes that connected around a 43 minute opera. Howard and I usually started with Frank on guitar, the three of us, and we were given the music to learn. Frank felt most comfortable playing and singing the melody so there are very few times where Frank placed himself into the four-part harmony or three-part harmony. He kind of left that to Howard, Jim Pons, and me.  We’d take the bit and show up at the rehearsal hall on Highland Avenue and lead the band through what he wanted.”    

(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon and 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972.   Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In2021 they wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble. Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters.

Kubernik’s writings are in several book anthologies. Most notably, The Rolling Stone Book Of The Beats and Drinking With Bukowski. Harvey wrote the liner notes to the CD re-releases of Carole King’s Tapestry, The Essential Carole King, Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish, Elvis Presley The ’68 Comeback Special, The Ramones’ End of the Century and Big Brother & the Holding Company Captured Live at The Monterey International Pop Festival.  

    During 2006 Harvey spoke at the special hearings initiated by The Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation.

   In 2017 Harvey Kubernik appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of their Distinguished Speakers Series). •

Photos Courtesy of Bob Conti and David Chatfield. 

By Harvey Kubernik

     On tour and in the studio from 1967 until present day, Bob Conti has performed, traveled and recorded with artists in nearly every genre of music and in most every country worldwide. From Carnegie Hall with Jose Feliciano to sold-out performances with Donna Summer at the Hollywood Bowl, from the Sydney Opera House, to the foothills of the Egyptian Pyramids.

    In the genre of Jazz, Conti has performed around the globe for decades at Latin and Jazz festivals, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and the Blue Note Tokyo. Conti has recorded on over 150 albums, in the genres of pop, jazz, Latin jazz, rhythm and blues, disco, New Age music, experimental music, and has served as lead vocalist, backing vocalist, record producer, songwriter, composer, television presenter and bandleader.

   From the age of 20 to the present time, Conti has performed with artists both in the studio and touring, including Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Gene Simmons, Wilson Pickett, Jose Feliciano, Richie Sambora, Paul Simon, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rita Coolidge, Helen Reddy, Karen Carpenter, Laura Brannigan, Player, Raquel Welch, Steel Breeze, Carmen Perez, and The Brooklyn Dreams, producing, writing and performing on over 150 albums. Conti's percussion work has also enhanced orchestras from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to the Academy Awards.

   In addition to being a percussionist, Conti is a composer, publisher and musical director. Conti was also a network TV bandleader and "2nd Banana" Sidekick, a.k.a., "Bobalou," for Host Brad Garrett (of Everybody Loves Raymond fame), on the ABC late night talk show, Into The Night, where he also wrote the show's theme song.

   Soon thereafter, Conti co-created and served as the host of Road Stories with Frankie Avalon and José Feliciano. The theme song for this series was also composed, produced and performed by Conti.

  As percussionist, vocalist, and writer, Conti performed with a then virtually unknown artist in the United States by the name of Donna Summer. This journey began in 1977  and continued with Donna through all the years until her last two Hollywood Bowl performances on August 22, 2008. 

    For many decades, Conti worked. collaborated and performed with Jose Feliciano. From 1982 until 2016, Conti continued to tour on the road with Feliciano all around the globe from the United States, to Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe, Israel, Australia, The United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa and beyond. Conti's association with Feliciano was not limited to performing and playing percussion. He has written songs for Feliciano, produced several of his albums. In addition to his professional credits with Feliciano, Conti is the godfather to Melissa Feliciano, the daughter of Susan and Feliciano.

Bob Conti and Harvey Kubernik 2023 Interview

Q: You've just entered a music and contractual relationship with David Chatfield and his Harmony Records label. David’s label has  released music from the recording sessions you produced/arranged with the legendary Jose Felicano. You worked with Jose from 1982-2016. Can you reflect on working with him in that period and bring us into the two albums of recordings you produced last decade that are now being issued. Did you also write some original songs with Jose?  

A: I worked with Jose from 1982 (on and off, mostly on) from 1982 -2019 in China. That was my last gig with him. We developed and shared a decades long great friendship together. Over time I would absolutely call it the kind of relationship that brothers share. We would often refer to one another as “brothers.” There was a genuine love for one another.

    Jose and I would stay at his mother’s home in Lares, Puerto Rico. I knew all his brothers and family. We were so close that eventually I was asked to be “Padrino” (Godfather) to his precious daughter Melissa, who incidentally recently gave birth to twins. I watched his two sons grow up. We spoke about them before they were born and now they are performing with him throughout the world as part of his band.

    We toured in and on every continent on the planet. Why did I stay so long you might ask? Simple put, Jose was “one of the boys” and was a complete joy to work with and for. He was and is still a total powerhouse of creativity.

    One of the most appealing things about working with Jose was “jumping the genres”. His ability to go from blues, to jazz, for R&B and Latin. From salsa to rock (listen to Jose Play the Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze”) and then switch to a medley of Boleros. Just a phenomenal musician and entertainer.

    Ask any great musician and they will attest to what I’m saying here. Every show was different. His patter was never contrived or forced and believe me, he could be funny as hell. It was a thing of beauty and something to behold. We never really wrote together because Jose did it all. He wrote the music, lyrics and he knew exactly what he wanted to hear.  I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity. There was never a “set list”. That certainly would keep everyone on their musical toes. He would just start playing and if you couldn’t hang, you were gone. 

Q: You go back many years with David Chatfield when you did Road Stories. You've worked with David on and off over the years. Right?  A lawyer with a musical vision and 4 decades of experience as a record producer.

A: I met David through his partner at the time in Sound Image Entertainment. David’s partner was a character. He told me he had intentions of doing show about an insiders view of what it was like to be a road warrior, and since I had spent most of my life doing just that, it seemed I was the perfect candidate. I wrote the theme for the show and was the host.

    It was then that David showed up and introduced himself. Immediately we got along. He was very professional but even more importantly he was and still is a good soul. You could feel that and that was important to me. We became better and better friends and more recently combined business and pleasure by participating in the “On The Blue Cruise” which was just amazing. We were able to connect with my good friend and multi talented artist/songwriter Bruce Sudano, Jefferson Starship, Alan Parsons, the Zombies and many more. This brought us even closer and friends and now partners in music. I love David, he’s a good man!

 Q: David Chatfield indicated to me you have a real deep friendship with Jose, and Godfather to his daughter Melissa. But last decade he was at a cross roads regarding his career, and veering away from the record business. And, organically, you steered him back into the recording studio and now we have these sonic gifts from your collaboration with him. How were these recordings initiated and done?

A:  I consider Jose family and that is forever. Many artists reach a point where they may feel that their career is going nowhere and they despair. They may go through a depression wondering why things are not going the way they had hoped or planned. Such was the case with Jose.

    In a telephone conversation we had while Jose was in Connecticut we spoke at length about this situation. I suggested he come out and stay with me and put everything else on the back burner. I was living by myself and had just gone through a divorce so we were two lost souls coming together for all the right reasons. Of course Jose brought his guitar and my percussion was always set up at the house. Well after a while we cheered each other up and got the urge to record some music.

    My great friend arranger and musician Wayne Boyer and I had been making music in his studio for years. The legendary Jimmie Haskell was another dear friend and an amazing arranger… SO, we went to work! I asked Jose what he felt like recording. He was a tremendous Elton John fan. He loved the Beatles and just about anything from the 60’s and that is what we set out to do.  

Q: Can you discuss the Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition "60 Years On" and the Lennon/McCartey tune "I Want to Hold Your Hand" that are currently garnering exposure on the streaming services? You hired the noted arranger Jimmie Haskell on some of your Felicano sessions. Can you mention some of the other titles and the background on how you selected them to be covered?

A: “60 Years On” was arranged by Wayne Boyer as was “I Want to Hold Your Hand” my job was to produce and play percussion. It was a relatively easy job to get a great vocal from Jose. His pitch and emotion is astounding. Not one to want to do too many “takes” he knocked it out of the park every time. Jimmie arranged the James Taylor composition “Fire and Rain.”

   We utilized the talents of a 32 piece Orchestra with some of L.A.’s finest players. Some of the other songs we recorded were: “God Bless The Child” “Compared to What” a song I wrote with Bruce Sudano called “Closer” the classic “My Foolish Heart” a song written by Elton John’s percussionist John Mahon and Elton’s long time bassist Bob Birch entitled “I Will Remember You,” one of Jose’s originals called “Believe Me When I Tell You” and at least ten more. 

    I just presented the songs to Jose that I thought would work and he made the final decision. I’d say it was a very productive visit. Of course these songs were a labor of love and were recorded over a period of time. It was good therapy and a very productive gathering of brother’s and sisters in music with one goal in mind, just to make the best music we could possibly make with one of the greatest artists on the planet. 

Q: Ironically, when former VP/A&R/head of Uni Records, Russ Regan was presented with Elton John's debut LP, Empty Sky for North American distribution, 5 record labels passed, all saying, "He sounds too much like Jose Feliciano." I never heard the vocal similarity. What is unique about Jose as a guitarist and a vocalist that has ensured his global following? You have toured the world with him.

   You last played with Jose in China in 2019 and performed in Japan, and Hawaii to sold out audiences.

    In 2023, Jose was feted at the White House with President Joe Biden, and in May, shared a stage with Bad Bunny at the Coachella music festival.  

A: Jose’s voice has changed quite a bit since his early recordings. In my opinion it has become richer, darker and more soulful. He always had the quality and the musicianship. It may sound “cliche” but like a fine wine or any well made instrument, in my opinion it is greatly improved and that is saying quite a bit. You can’t argue with the success of his early hits buy personally I prefer the rich tones of his voice in his later years and on the recordings we’ve managed to capture. His global following understands and feels his heart and his passion. He pulls you in and then lifts you up. He does what any great artist should do and that is ALWAYS come from the heart and never just “dial it in”. As side men we see the faces of the audience. We see the tears and the joy that he brings and we are blessed to be part of it.  

Q: You've just been filmed for an authorized Jose Feliciano documentary.

A: Actor, singer, documentarian and friend is the one who produced the Feliciano documentary Frank Licari came out with us as an all around positive force. He would dance on stage, look after Jose, help him to eat right and fly right. He was and is a joy to be around.

     He got to know Jose really well and suggested to the CEO of Anthem Records (another terrific person) Helen Murphy that they do a documentary on Jose. It is called Behind This Guitar and features a great new song by Jose entitled oddly enough “Behind This Guitar." They also directed it.

Q:  You toured and recorded with Donna Summer from 1977-2010. She is the subject of a just released documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer, from HBO Documentary Films, is directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated, HBO’s The Apollo) and Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano. Described as an “unexpected and intimate portrait,” the documentary had its theatrical world premiere at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. It debuted  May 20th on HBO television and now streaming on HBO Max.  

    Your journey with Donna began in 1977 with an audition and an introduction to Donna by her musical director and your close friend Michael Warren. Donna Summer went on to become the number one act in the world. You subsequently met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. They heard your percussion work (live and in the studio), and then was asked to play on the Bad Girls album. You also penned a tune with Donna on that album, ""Can't Get To Sleep at Night." Your worked with Donna through all the years until her last two Hollywood Bowl concerts in August 22, 2008. 

   If at all possible, can you describe working with Donna on stage and in the studio? From a musical standpoint, your role as percussionist was very prominent. It’s obvious to me that your earlier gigs with Motown acts, Buck Ram’s  Platters, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Ross, and arrangers like HB Barnum prepared you for this dream.

A: I loved Donna and I will always love her, not just for her talent which was incredible, but for her sweet and good heart. I can’t say enough good things about her.

    I started with Donna in 1977. Mike Warren musical director, Sal Guglielmi on bass, Virgil Webber on keys and synth, Richard Adelman on drums and Doug Livingston on piano. I’m looking forward to seeing Donna’s personal footage in the documentary. We were very close.

    I wrote songs with her husband Bruce Sudano that can be heard on her Bad Girls album, "Can't Get To Sleep, and on “Live and More," and we wrote “Only One Man”… I have enough stories to fill three lifetimes and all I have is love and gratitude for those experiences.  

Q: A general question. In reviewing your fascinating career, do you have a philosophy or a working practice about the role(s) of a percussionist in the studio or touring? Are you a support instrument or does each and every opportunity present a different set of musical muscles?

A: In the studio as well as “touring” the role of any musician should be to lift the music up and make it better. It’s not about YOU, as I mentioned in another song I wrote for Jose entitled  “It’s The Music” … I’m not a “Latin Percussionist” or an American Producer or Percussionist, I just want to lift the music up which will lift the listener up. and do it honestly with the best intentions. You don’t play music or create music to get rich or famous. You do it because you MUST.

    It’s always about the music. If you have love in your heart and you’re a decent person, you want to do wonderful things. You want to find the thing that connects us all. Music that can do that. We sharpen our skills so we can deliver the message and touch the soul like these great Artists I mention do to hungry souls out there, wanting and waiting for us to deliver.

David Chatfield on Bob Conti

     I think I first met Bob Conti at Mastro’s Steakhouse one night when Wayne Boyer was doing his music at the piano there. My partner told me that Bob was going to host the Road Stories concept that my mother and I had come up with. My mother, Emmy nominated television writer Rocci Chatfield, was a big fan of Johnny Carson and Jay Leno when they hosted the tonight show and she was always fascinated by the stories that Leno especially would get singers to tell about what happened to them on the road that no one ever knew about. My mother and I came up with a concept that we presented to my partners at Sound Image and then I was introduced to Bob Conti at Mastro’s as the host of Road Stories.  

    The next time I saw Bob was on the set that we built at Sound Image for the pilot of Road Stories. I co-produced, directed and co-wrote the pilots with Bob Conti. Bob knew all of the right questions for Jose and delivered Jose to the set where Jose had a wonderful time, did a funny and very interesting interview with Bob and Jose even made up a song on the set about Bob and the show and sang it on camera. It was a wonderful experience. I spent most of the time running back and forth between the set and the director’s booth, it was a multi-camera shoot. 

    After that, Bob did a second pilot episode of Road Stories starring Frankie Avalon, who Bob had succesfully approached at Mastros and they did a great show that discusses funny events that occurred on the road with Frankie, behind the scenes in movies Frankie starred in and serious subjects like segretation in the south when Frankie was touring with Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, and other musicians of color. Frankie said, “we had to do two shows, one for a white audience and one for a black audience.” Bob’s comment was that “It’s hard to believe that occurred in our lifetime”. 

    Several years later I was doing a latin jazz project that David Foster, then president of Verve Records, had spoken to me about at the Emmy Governor’s Ball after performing with Andre Bocelli. The artist was the fabulous Puerto Rican singer Carmen Perez that I represented and I suggested that Danish producer Carston Lindberg, who I was co-managing at the time, bring in Bob Conti to do percussion on the Latin Jazz project. Bob did a wonderful job and everyone loved him. 

    Early this year I called on Bob to play percussion on the unplugged version of the Steel Breeze hit, “You Don’t Want Me Anymore”, which will be release on Harmony Records in July 2023. I was going through a personal crisis at the time and Bob became a real friend and supporter and we started talking about Bob’s Jose Feliciano recordings.

    Bob played me “60 Years On” and I immediately thought that Alan Parsons had produced it…but no…Bob Conti had produced it. Bob went “On The Blues Cruise” with me and we made a deal for me to do remixes of some of the Jose Feliciano songs for my label Harmony Records and promote them on the streaming services. Thus far, after only a few short weeks, the first single “60 Years On” has almost a quarter of a million streams world-wide and the video of the song, directed by famed Ukranian Director Vladimir Gribol is getting critical acclaim for brining the meaning of the song to life. Of course, Bob Conti provided me with his insights on the meaning of the song to deliver to the director.

    Harmony Record’s second Feliciano single is ”I Want To Hold Your Hand” a Lennon/McCarney song. Jose’s version is very reminiscent of his big hit “Light My Fire”. Both songs were expertly produced by Bob Conti and I edited, remixed, rerecorded and mastered the songs to be acceptable to the playlisters on the streaming services. 

    Bob Conti was Donna Summers’ percussionist, and Donna’s husband and Bob’s sometime writing partner Bruce Sudano, who is a really great guy, was also performing “On the Blues Cruise”. Bob and I enjoyed Bruce’s sets and we had a private dinner with Bruce on the Ship’s Italian Restaurant. A perfect setting for us three Italians. Bruce is a wonderful singer/songwriter and I think he has a couple of potential hits in his set. 

    I am starting to focus on the Latin market in the Americas and Bob and I have spoken about him heading up the Latin division of my companies. Our first venture is my regaetone remix of Julian Shah-Tayler’s new song “Easy” originally produced by Robert Margouleff who I have known since he produced projects at our Sound Image Studios in the Sound City Center. Julian is going to sing the remix in Spanish and in English. 

(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon and 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972.   Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In2021 they wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble. Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters.

Kubernik’s writings are in several book anthologies. Most notably, The Rolling Stone Book Of The Beats and Drinking With Bukowski. Harvey wrote the liner notes to the CD re-releases of Carole King’s Tapestry, The Essential Carole King, Allen Ginsberg’s Kaddish, Elvis Presley The ’68 Comeback Special, The Ramones’ End of the Century and Big Brother & the Holding Company Captured Live at The Monterey International Pop Festival.  

    During 2006 Harvey spoke at the special hearings initiated by The Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation.

   In 2017 Harvey Kubernik appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of their Distinguished Speakers Series.

 Tanya Venom

Contact: tanyavenomguitarist@gmail.com • stormstressband.com 

Tanya Venom is the guitarist and vocalist for heavy metal power trio Stormstress. The Detroit native, along with twin sister and bassist-vocalist Tia Mayhem and drummer-vocalist Maddie May Scott, has been steadily building a national following since her formation of the group in 2019. Venom is featured on the band’s 2022 full-length indie release Silver Lining and is also active as a session guitarist-vocalist, songwriter, arranger and educator.  

FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG

It was an all-female classic rock band called 4D. Our mom’s friend from work was a drummer in the band and she told her about my sister Tia and I. We were both 16 and just starting out. They invited us to play with them and we were making money in clubs playing all over the metro Detroit area. It was pretty cool.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

My first big influences were Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Freddie Mercury of Queen. I liked that high range, epic rock & roll type of singing. Later, I turned to Lizzy Hale of Halestorm and heavier bands, like Butcher Babies.

MUSICAL EDUCATION

Berklee College of Music was awesome! I majored in film scoring and my principle instrument was guitar. And through that school I met so many amazing people and made connections I still keep in contact with today. Berklee was like a Hogwarts wizarding school for music.

FRONTING A TRIO AS VOCALIST AND GUITARIST

At Berklee my twin sister Tia and I started a band called Flight of Fire. We had a great lead singer in that band and I was starting to sing more complicated harmonies. Toward the end of that band, in 2017, I really liked singing, but I needed to improve my pitch and timbre. We then started a duo, Venom and Mayhem, where I did more lead vocals and expressive melodies.    
   When Stormstress started in 2019, I began to apply lead singing, harmonies and guitar together. I learned to write less complicated parts while I was playing riffs and singing over chords. Now I’m getting really good at playing riffs and chords simultaneously. You have to trust what one thing is doing to focus on the other.

VOCAL HEALTH JOURNEY

I had never been properly trained as a vocalist, which is where I think these problems were rooted. In 2022 we were doing a ton of gigs—post COVID—and I was finally confident in my voice and working it a lot. I got really sick with an upper respiratory infection around Halloween. And Stormstress had a show that, even though I was wildly sick, I did anyway. I performed full blast and made it through the show. But my voice never fully came back after that. My voice was giving out after only an hour of singing and I started to panic. I tried to get more sleep and tried eating different foods, but nothing was helping. 

After a few months I saw an ENT doctor. He stuck a camera up my nose and saw a polyp right away on my right vocal cord. I was scared when he recommended surgery, but he assured it was pretty common. He said it looked like I had good singing technique, but that I’d injured myself. I cancelled a lot of gigs and was not singing as much. When I finally got the surgery at the beginning of August the polyp had shrunk considerably. After a month my voice started coming back really gravelly at first. I started seeing a speech therapist who helped me in many ways from a singing and medical perspective.”

VOCAL SUPPORT TIPS

Hydrate the day before you sing, because it takes time for water to be absorbed by your vocal cords. Coughing and constantly clearing your throat can scratch your vocal cords as well. Try to speak light and gently from the front of your mouth and, by all means, don’t sing when you’re sick! •

MARTHA REEVES 

Contact: Chris Roe, chrisroemanagement@gmail.com • marthareeves.net 

Martha Reeves is a bonafide Motown superstar who, with her group The Vandellas, garnered a string of hits for that storied label in the early ‘60s. “Dancing In The Street,” “Heat Wave,” “Jimmy Mack,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Come and Get These Memories” are just some of the chart-topping gems that put Reeves and company on the legendary musical map. In the ensuing years, the Detroit Diva has been an actor, film narrator and solo artist, but these days she is actively campaigning for a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. With a hefty price tag attached, June 2023 is the final month of eligibility for this esteemed honor.

FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG

When I was three years old we sang in my grandfather’s church. It was in Detroit at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church. One Saturday evening my brothers Benny and Thomas let me sing with them and we sang a song called “Jesus Met the Woman at the Well.” We won this singing contest and we were the only talented kids of all my dad’s siblings. That made me professional.

MUSICAL EDUCATION

I had operatic training in high school with Abraham Silver. He was one of the finest teachers I ever had. Music was in the schools then. But he picked me out of 11 girls in the choir to sing Bach’s aria “Alleluia.” And we sang it before 4500 people at Detroit’s Ford Auditorium. I’ve always felt that our musical instructions for life came from school. And we’ve gotta make it more important for our youngsters. Education is the key.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

My dad played blues guitar and, when he wasn’t listening to spiritual music, woodshedded with John Lee Hooker. He never went professional, but he was one of my biggest influences. Mom sang Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn and those ladies. They were both talented.

SELECTING MATERIAL TO SING

Music is supposed to soothe the soul. And I’ve only sang songs that I could put my faith in. But at Motown it wasn’t so much about us choosing material. It was the producers there who were writing the songs. I worked in the A&R department and I helped them write songs. But I was never given credit for being a writer, producer or anything. And there was no chance of getting any publishing. But I helped them write and sing on demos. And I couldn’t sing a song unless I could put my heart in it. I helped choose the words and made them spiritual. People could tell they were from my heart.

AFTER MOTOWN

I lived in Los Angeles for 14 years. When Motown left Detroit, so did I for a while. I had no other choice if I was gonna continue my career. I was also on the MCA label and had an album recorded by Richard Perry—one of the best producers for Universal Music. I’ve been in movies and I’ve done narration for documentaries in the U.S. and for the BBC. To be honest, we’re more famous in the U.K. than America.

HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

Here comes this Hollywood star project that I didn’t ask for, but I feel I deserve it! Someone started this issue and I have to continue with it. So, I’m here in Detroit famous as I can be, but not rich.

KEEPING THE VOICE IN SHAPE

Well, I’ve been singing since I was a baby. I sing every day, praising the Lord. I’m the product of public school teachers. I was already singing when I started working as a receptionist at Motown. All I had to do was just apply what I had learned about my voice. And it was my determination to sing songs that I could honor God in.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

People are opening doors and we are coming back with gigs in July and August, going into the Fall. So, things are looking up. People have shown me love that I didn’t know existed. •

  REBECCA LOVELL

Contact: Emily Ginsberg, ginsberg@bighassle.com • larkinpoe.com 

Rebecca Lovell is lead vocalist-guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and half of the duo-led blues-based roots rock band Larkin Poe. Along with her harmony vocalist-guitarist sister Megan, Lovell has been gradually building their southern-flavored brand of Americana since backing such luminaries as Elvis Costello, Conor Oberst and Keith Urban. Larkin Poe’s latest album is called Blood
Harmony (Tricki Woo Records). 

FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG

In 2004, my two elder sisters and I started a band called The Lovell Sisters that transitioned almost imperceptibly from hobby into a professional gig over the course of five years. We disbanded in 2009.

KEY INFLUENCES AND MENTORS

Chris Whitley has been, and continues to be, one of my biggest influences. As a triple threat singer, songwriter and guitarist Whitley ticks all the boxes for me. I feel incredibly grateful to have had an extensive list of mentors who invested a great deal of faith and attention into my musical growth over the years. I am particularly indebted to Elvis Costello for sharing his wisdom and perspective to my writing ventures from the ground up.

MUSICAL EDUCATION

I started classical violin and piano lessons at four years old and continued in the Suzuki method for almost 10 years. In our preteens, my sisters and I dropped our classical lessons and fell headlong into bluegrass music. Ever since then I have been predominantly self-taught.

PREFERRED STAGE MONITOR SYSTEMS

Coming up in tight rock clubs, I routinely used to sing my voice out trying to sing over the cymbals. We transitioned to in-ear monitors six or seven years ago and it has made all the difference.

SONGWRITING PROCESS

Songwriting is an ever-evolving practice for me. As my capacity for vulnerability in the creative process continues to increase, I find that my toolbox gets bigger. Simply continuing to remain open to new ways of thinking and feeling about songwriting is the biggest goal.

STAGE HIGHLIGHTS AND MISHAPS

Being put in challenging or adverse circumstances on the live stage is a huge opportunity for growth as a musician and performer. I look back over the past 18 years of touring with gratitude for the countless times I’ve fallen onstage, struggled to hear myself or played to the bar staff. Until you’ve truly hit the ground hard and tested your own mettle, you won’t know what you’re fully capable of.

TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER

Starting our own record label in 2017 and committing to self-production.

VOCAL HEALTH AND WARMUPS

Before and after shows I religiously follow a vocal warm-up and cool-down routine. At this point there are so many great resources available on YouTube. There’s absolutely no reason that a singer shouldn’t be experimenting with this aspect of vocal caretaking. I don’t drink on tour. And pending how my voice is feeling on any given day, I will limit my talking as well. Prioritizing vocal rest and hydration is always a focus for me. •

HARDY 

Contact: Jess Anderson, jess@bigloud.com •

hardyofficial.com 

The pride of Philadelphia, Mississippi, HARDY is an artist who’s really difficult to pin down. To a great degree, he’s a jack of all trades, and a master of many, as well. His latest critically acclaimed album titled The Mockingbird & The Crow (Big Loud Records) successfully drives home his diverse writing and production style. His half-country, half-hard rocking approach is multi-laterally straddling the charts at active rock radio, pop and modern country combined. He’s previously toured with Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean and has amassed numerous accolades, including the CMA Triple Play, ACM “Songwriter of the Year Award” and the 2022 BMI “Songwriter of the Year Award,” to name a few.

SONGWRITING ORIGIN AND TURNING POINT AS A WRITER

I started writing my own songs as a teenager. My sister is a couple years older than me, and she went to Belmont in Nashville for college. Eventually I ended up in town there, too, at MTSU. Right after I moved to Nashville, my sister encouraged me to sign with a PRO. She interned at BMI, so I signed with them. Shortly thereafter, I was lucky to have a meeting with Leslie Roberts where I played her the five or six songs that I had to my name at the time. She told me that, on the whole, the songs were okay, but there was one in particular that was pretty good. She said I was on to something with what I had to say as a songwriter. That was one of my first meetings in Nashville and that one comment that she made validated something in me and made me believe that I could make it as a songwriter.

BALANCING COUNTRY AND ROCK RADIO

As a songwriter the rule is always the same—best idea wins. It doesn’t matter what genre or idea. We just wanna write the best song we can. As an artist, especially with the last album, the split between rock and country happened organically, basically by accident. For this last album I had about 16 songs—8 songs each genre. Things just kind of happened on their own.

VOCAL HEALTH AND TECHNIQUE

I started implementing some, like, nu metal and scream vocals on the rock half of my record, and that’s been really cool to learn about. I’ve formed some friendships with some guys in that world, like Jeremy McKinnon, who’s on “Radio Song” with me, and Caleb Shomo from Beartooth. I’ve learned a lot from them about how to protect your voice as much as you can while still getting to have fun with it.

FAVORITE SONGS IN YOUR CATALOG

I love our headline set on this current tour. We start off pretty rock-heavy and then throw in a good mix of country songs from my first album. I play “God’s Country” and am always proud to play it and its message. Another song “Wait in the Truck” has been really powerful live. And every time I get to sing it with Lainey (Wilson) it means a lot.

FAVORITE COLLABORATORS AND ARTIST WISHLIST

Because of songwriting and our HIXTAPE collaborations, I’ve gotten to work with so many of my favorite artists and a lot of my friends. I’m excited to collaborate with some people in the rock world as a writer. I’ve never had a Tim McGraw cut or a Kenny Chesney cut, so those are definitely on the bucket list. •

FLORENCE DORE 

Contact: Wendy Brynford-Jones, wendy@hel lowendy.com • florencedoremusic.com 

Florence Dore is a North Carolina-based singer-songwriter, as well as a Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is author and editor of the new book The Ink in the Grooves: Conversations on Literature and Rock ‘n’ Roll (Cornell University Press) and, also just released her second album, and debut for Propeller Records, called Highways and Rocketships. 

FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG

I would say The Rathskellar or The Middle East Café in Boston. There was kind of an anti-frat house in college called Eclectic House where I played some early shows too.

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Warren Zevon and Steve Earle come to mind, for sure. When I was little it was The Beatles and The Band. When I was eight years old I wrote a fan letter to Joan Baez and her mother wrote me back. I also love Crystal Gayle, Bonnie Raitt and Loretta Lynn too.

THE INK IN THE GROOVES AND HIGHWAYS AND ROCKETSHIPS CROSS-PROMOTION

The record took a really long time to come out because of the pandemic. We recorded the first single “Rebel Debutante” in March 2020. I also made a benefit record for the popular venue Cat’s Cradle during the pandemic as well. We recorded some things remotely until vaccines happened. We were the last people to record in Mitch Easter’s studio before the pandemic and the first people back in after vaccines. The record came out in June 2022 and my book came out in October. The timing worked out great for both.

THE CONVERGENCE OF ROCK MUSIC AND LITERATURE

I was working on a book about Southern fiction in the 1950s. And then I put on a conference at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Steve Earle. Steve had just put out a novel and a record called I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive. We brought all these scholars and musicians together and I noticed all these novelists, like Michael Chabon, Jonathan Lethem and Dana Spiotta, were writing about and referencing rock & roll songs. There was this interaction with music and literature that was evident in a lot of their work.

VOCAL HEALTH AND TECHNIQUE

I try not to talk too much on singing days. When I was younger I never took lessons and I sang right from my throat. But I eventually did take some lessons from someone who helped me. I’m singing every night, so I try to use my head voice, even when I’m singing low. I also drink a lot of water.

SONGWRITING PROCESS

There are all types of tools you can use to write songs. It happens all kinds of ways. It’s a lot of rolling up your sleeves and getting involved in words. I like to use a thesaurus. There is a great book by a guy named Pat Pattison called Writing Better Lyrics. I try to write for 10 minutes every morning and do object deep dives to just get you thinking about the world in a real and sensory way. I also think about how to make cool metaphors. Sometimes it may go nowhere or it may just get you thinking about things in a songwriter way. Sometimes things come to you and sometimes you have to produce conditions for things to come to you. The more we do that as songwriters the more you lay the groundwork for a song to hit you. And then you’ll be able to receive it when it arrives. •