In Music Teams Win

Recently, I went up to Sony in New York to pitch some new music of mine. I spotted a group of desperate looking guys surrounded by security and promptly escorted out of the building. Judging from their apparel and the bags of cd’s and posters they had on them, my guess was that they were attempting to get into the Sony building to “get a deal” as the saying goes.

Poor guys. Little did they know that they were doomed before even walking into the building. They had surely been thoroughly mislead by cute little stories like the one of a pre-megastar Usher dancing passionately out on the sidewalk after being kicked out by security, only to be rescued by a smitten A&R at the last minute. And that’s supposedly how Usher got discovered. Ok, that’s great, but it’s not going to happen to you. Why? Because Usher got damn lucky. Unfortunately, for the guys I saw get kicked out at Sony that day this blog came a little bit too late for them. To the rest of you who have plans of setting up turntables & mics outside an A&Rs office or trying to pull an Usher in the lobby of the major labels to get yourself “out there”, please get something in your head before doing anything that risky: Teams win. Individuals Fail. Getting a foot in the door in the music business is tough, tough, tough. Success requires very careful strategizing. Sure, being bold is good, but senseless bravado doesn’t get you anywhere, especially if you don’t have people around you to help you out. The following is what you need before you can even think about having any chance at getting an invitation from a major label to showcase your material:

1) Lawyer: get with a legal team that has connections in the industry, and has a proven record in the exact musical field you’re getting into. Find someone who truly believes in your music, and who’s in it for the long run.

2) Manager: doesn’t mean some fast talking car-salesman type with a Bluetooth in one ear and a huge alligator smile who believes that promotion is taking garbage bags full of CDs to hand-out at clubs. A proper manager works only with a specific genre, and is totally dedicated to the acts he manages. A manager represents you when you are not present, so find someone who can do this well in front of people who hold the keys to your individual success.

3) Producer: should not be confused with beat-makers. If you make beats, then you make beats. You’re not a producer of anything but beats. There are a few producers who make beats, but this doesn’t mean that selling beats makes you a producer. A Producer is a term to define an individual who acts much like the Director on the movie set, combined with the role of a Quality Control agent. Producers are people like Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin, while beat makers are the likes of most everyone else that simply shops and sells beats to artists. Look for a quality producer with a great set of ears and an in-depth understanding of music and musical composition.

4) Writer: Whatever you do, even if you’re a rapper, do not, I repeat DO NOT write material that isn’t first critiqued and reviewed by other qualified individuals. Take your time writing something that’s memorable. Remember this: Garbage in, garbage out. If you pen garbage thoughts on paper, it’s going to make garbage music. Get someone to critique your garbage before you turn it into a song. That stands by itself even without the music. Write something that defines things perfectly without sounding trite. Better yet, find a good writer and pay them to do it for you.

5) Engineer: It doesn’t matter how hot you think your song is, it’s shit unless it’s mixed properly. Nobody cares to listen to something that sounds like crap. Get a good engineer, get it mixed down, maybe even mastered, and have it sounding radio quality before you showcase it to anyone.

6) Books: This is by far the most important addition to a team. Find your guidance from books, not online chat rooms and forums. Read everything you can get your hands on so that you become an expert in the music BUSINESS. I highly recommend Donald Passman’s All You Need to Know About the Music Business.

Never believe how you heard so and so got a record deal. Most of the time it’s just hype to build intrigue around an artist. Usually it’s simply the person’s lawyer who sends a copy to an A&R they know. Just remember this piece of advice: teaming up with successful individuals will make you individually successful.

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