Auditions for new CBS show "Jingles"

Someone at CBS must have read my post on singing jingles:) Just got this emailed to me... another crazy reality show, but it could be an opportunity you might have some fun auditioning for it if you're into jingles. Here's the blurb they sent me:

CBS and Mark Burnett Productions have teamed up to find the greatest undiscovered marketing genius for a new show, "Jingles"! We are looking for teams of (preferably) 2-4 people to write and perform product jingles. A team could be anything from a brother/sister team to a singing comedy duo or a barbershop quartet!

Do you think you could use your quick mind, great sense of humor, and musical skills to wow Fortune 500 companies with your talent?

We are looking for fun, high energy performances mixed with a competitive spirit. Minimum age 13.

Please email Jonathan at jtanzman@markburnettprod.com for more information.
We will be casting in Nashville late May.

Fans Rule! - the new music business model

If you're not into social networking and you want to sell music, you either need to get into it or get someone who IS into it to become a part of your marketing team. Instead of being depressed, I have to say I'm energized by the way music business's apple cart has been turned over and the bottlenecks are irreparably broken. Now listening and concert-attending FANS are driving the business, instead of the other way around. I say, "long live fan-archy!" hehehe...

There are awesome stories on the net of music marketing successes using this new model. Go here to read about some) .

Don't be fooled...It's HARD WORK doing business this way. To become successful... (and I am borrowing from the writings of Internet marketers such as Mari Smith and Brian Clark) ... you must:

1. Connect with your fans.
2. Interest your fans in staying around.
   
3. Motivate and excite the fans so much that they want to buy from you.
   

Think you'd have to make millions of fans to "make it"? ... Here are two links to a debate going on about the premise that it only takes 1000 "True Fans" to make a living in the music business:

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/04/the_case_agains.php

Social networking sites I recommend for you to put up your profile and become active:

1. Myspace.com
Recommended resource: Bob Baker's "My Space Music Marketing" (about $20)

2. Facebook.com
Recommended resource: Mari Smith's "Facebook Fortunes" (free)

3. Twitter.com
Recommended resource: "Why Twitter Isn't A Waste Of Time" (blogpost)

Anybody out there have other suggestions to share? Click "comment" below this post!

What would I do as producer of your project?

I got a new request recently to explain what I do in my role as producer or vocal producer.

If you are a new artist and are contemplating recording a project, the following may help you know what to expect, or what questions to ask of the producer you are working with or considering.

As producer of your project:

• I would hold a face-to-face planning consultation with you
• I would explain the options you have and costs of different kinds of recorded projects (full tracks demo, limited pressing, master OR a smaller project like piano or guitar and vocal, etc.) Once we decided together what kind of project to do and how many songs...
• I would help you find and choose songs that fit you.
• I then suggest taking some voice lessons to get your voice ready and to work on the songs and keys.
• If we are doing full band, I would have a "pre-production" meeting with you, and sometimes with the band leader, going over musician choices and production ideas.
• I would book the band, the recording studio and engineer according to your budget and write the charts.
• Then I would produce the tracking session. You would do "scratch tracks", singing them as the musicians play, but not trying for final vocals.
• At this point, I recommend taking the rough tracks home and working with them for a while (a couple weeks to a couple months), and if possible, work on them at several more voice lessons. When you and I feel you are confident with them...
• I would book the vocal sessions with the studio and any needed background vocals.
• Then I would produce your lead vocals and background vocals.
• Then I would have it mixed, you and I would listen to the mix, do any tweaks and ok the final mix.
  

My production fee would be negotiated according to the type project. Of course, it it's just piano or guitar vocal or pre-existing track, I would charge much less because the time required would also be much less. Vocal lessons would be an extra fee you would need to include in your budget. You would also need to pay separately for any graphics and duplication you want.

As vocal producer of your project:

• I would usually work with your over-all project producer and engineer to get your best vocals. Most often I give a short vocal consultation (lesson) before we begin.
• Sometimes, according to the producer and engineer's wishes, I help "comp" the vocal tracks on the spot.

My vocal production fee is $80 an hour. Typical length of time is one to two hours per song.

I hope this helps you plan your project, whether or not I work on it. I always love working with other producers - on the team as vocal coach, vocal producer or consultant. There are many creative solutions that can help you get the best project for your budget. If you have any questions, please click the comment link and I'll be happy to reply.

Pop Quiz... Got vocal issues?

Time...
It's time for me to do an inventory on my focus in this blog. It takes time to write each post and time for you to read it. To keep it worth our time, I'd like to increase its usefulness to you. And I'd like to ask you to take a few moments of your time to help me get you the information you need and want.

If you could ask your most urgent, puzzling, frustrating or curious question about anything relating to the voice (fitting for a subject to explore on "All Things Vocal") what would it be? Got multiple vocal issues or questions? List as many as you can.

To begin your thinking process, look at these random vocal issues and let me know which one(s) you'd like to see me add to "our" grand list (if you want, tell me what you're NOT interested in as well):

1. You have uncontrolled, excessive or missing vibrato issues.
2. You consistently sing either sharp or flat.
3. You want to know how to make money with your voice.
4. You need info about your speaking voice.
5. Your voice is tired and strained.
6. Your voice is thin, weak, lifeless, nasal or edgy.
7. You want to increase your range.
8. You have some strange, mysterious problem that occurs when you speak or sing.
9. You don't know what style you should sing.
10. You have a frustrating vocal break.
11. You feel numb or fake in performance.
12. You can't get the magic in your studio vocals that you get in live performance.
13. You want to know how to correctly sing and play an instrument simultaneously.
14. You want to know how to choose great vocal training.
15. You want to protect yourself from getting ripped off in the music business.
16. You want to learn and keep up with how the music business news.
17. You'd like to learn how use breath more efficiently when speaking or singing.
18. You want to learn to read music or the Nashville number system.
19. You want to know how to fire up your creativity.
20. You want to know what "Power, Path & Performance" vocal training can do for you.
21. You are interested in ideas to keep the voice healthy.
22. You want to know how to co-write.

OK... your turn... just click the comment link at the bottom of this post and list numbers of issues of interest to you. Then add your own. And thank you for joining the conversation!

5th Christian Independent Alliance Summit this wk

Heads up ... there's a good conference going on this wk if anyone's interested. It's the
5th Christian Independent Alliance Summit near Nashville, TN. The email I received says:

"We have 3 excellent events!"
Wednesday, March 26- Tom Jackson Performance Seminar
Thursday, March 27- Songwriter Bootcamp
Friday-Saturday- CIA Summit Seminars

For more info, please visit:
http://www.ciasummit.com
For an overview of the Summit events, go to:
http://www.ciasummit.com/2008/02/19/recap-of-all-cia-summit-2008-events/
To register, go to:
http://www.ciasummit.com/registration/
The CIA Summit is sponsored by:
Mission of Mercy:
www.missionofmercy.org
Indieheaven:
www.indieheaven.com

How to write your artist bio

I have received a request to write an artist's bio. This is not one of the services I offer, but I know it's important and I do have suggestions for researching the topic.

If you are writing a bio to get the attention of the music business, do remember that you are writing for industry. Don't over-hype... they can smell it a mile away. Just give a well written summary of your best true information, and write it from the viewpoint of "how will this interest a music industry person in getting on board to further my career" instead of "this was fun and interesting to me (the artist)". What's in it for THEM?

Here are some great bio writing suggestions sites:

http://www.taxi.com/members/bios.html


http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/artistbio.htm

http://www.arielpublicity.com/sound_advice/professional-musician-bio.html

http://mediawebsource.com/band_bios.htm

btw... hope everyone had a great Easter!

Music Business in the Digital Age

I heard a great broadcast on NPR today. Terry Gross interviewed Eliot Van Buskirk, who covers digital media for Wired.com on the blog, Listening Post.
You can listen to the NPR story "The Music Industry: Adapting to a Digital Future" here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88145070 .

One thing they talked about was a website I've found called "TuneCore". Unlike CD Baby, after you pay a very nominal amount to get your music uploaded and distributed for possible inclusion by such distribution entities as Amazon.com mp3 music downloads, iTunes, etc, you get 100% of the money that comes in for your songs.

There is still a place for the major labels marketing in some scenarios. On the NPR program they discussed the fact that yes, getting "findable" on myspace.com and the other Internet music sites is the hardest part. But people are doing it every day. And the labels kick in best when the artist has already garnered a following. (The contract is also much more artist friendly!)

It is so incredibly economical these days to create, market and distribute music, if you really want to learn the ropes for the Digital Age. Research the web by setting up "Google Alerts" for music business, music industry, digital technology for selling music, etc. Read blogs like the Listening Post. Buy a round of training with Internet music sales gurus like Bob Baker . And comment on this blog when you find something interesting!

David Byrne on evolving music business

In my researching of where the "Music Business" is evolving, I came upon a great article in Wired Magazine that was written by David Byrne (of the band "Talking Heads"):

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_byrne?currentPage=all

In this article, Byrne lists 6 different music distribution possibilities quite nicely. These models go from the do-it-yourself sell-from-myspace-page to the megastar's 360 equity deal.

I find this fascinating. If we really have music inside us, and we really want to get into the business of music to distribute this music and perhaps make some money, there are more ways than ever to do so.

To quote David Byrne:

"For existing and emerging artists — who read about the music business going down the drain — this is actually a great time, full of options and possibilities. The future of music as a career is wide open."

There are and always will be, sc*mers out there who prey on the desires of people to make and distribute their music. That's why it is more important than ever to really do your homework. For instance, as Byrne points out, music sold on iTunes can make the artist with a label deal less money than cds. (Question I have... then artists with their own labels can make more money on iTunes?)

You may have to learn to use software like "Pro Tools" or partner with someone who can. You may have to do some "social networking" on places like MySpace, Facebook, etc. You may have to learn how to do things like license your soundtracks or your songs. You may have to settle, at least at first, on not having a major label attached to your name. But if the music is the reason for your efforts, you'll be able to find a way to make your music and to find your audience in this day and time - because, hallelujah, the bottlenecks are being broken!

How to get work as a background singer

I got another question I thought you readers might be interested in from my website today.

The question:
"How does one go about getting started if they are interested in singing bgv's (background vocals)? Thanks!"

My answer: To sing background vocals you need-

1. vocal training to be able to perform the feats of what I call a "stunt singer". It takes more stamina and control to be a great background singer than to be a lead singer, because you will have to trace and blend with another voice perfectly, taking on the lead voice's tone, personality, rhythm, phrasing and accent, or adding whatever different texture of voice the producer wants to offset the lead singer's voice.
2. to be able to change your voice at the producer's request.
3. to be able to hear and create harmony parts.
4. experience singing background parts with live performers and/or backing vocals in a recording studio. No matter what kind of training you have, there's no substitute for actual experience. It's a catch-22; you need experience to get experience, so take whatever opportunity you can possibly find or afford to get in front of a stage or recording studio mic.
5. a demonstration (demo) recording of your voice. This can be a simple guitar or piano/vocal, a karaoke track with your voice recorded over it, or can be full instrumental tracks created just for you. Just make sure that your vocal performance is the most important thing you record. Don't spend money on tracks without budgeting enough time for great vocals. duh.
6. referrals from people you've sung with and sung for.
7. networking, networking, networking. This takes time and persistance; people skills are very necessary. Go to writers nights and to concerts, hang out with musicians and songwriters you know. If you know any session singers, you might ask them to sing with you and assess how well they think you do.
8. to realize that you may need to keep your day job. Background work is very competitive and usually has a great deal to do with being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes when someone else can't make a session, an untried singer will get a chance. However, it is important to be generous of spirit, to support and recommend other singers trying to get work as well. Undercutting your fellow session singer will come back to bite you. It usually takes years to break in to regular session work. Make sure you build the right reputation.

Background singers tend to be hired for the following qualities:

1. They sound great with the lead singer.
2. They learn their parts fast.
3. They can do "head charts" (just come up with the parts in their heads), read the Nashville number system (if in Nashville), and they can read written music (traditional notes). You can get hired without being able to do all three, but you are considered a much more versitile singer if you can work whatever way the producer, artist or group leader wants.
4. They have positive, professional attitudes and work well with others.
5. They can be depended upon to show up on time, every time.
6. They are nice people. The music business is a small world, and it gets to be community where where you like to work with friends and good hearted people.

Some of my best friends in the world are background singers. Good luck... and let me know about any work you get so I can share it in my newsletter!

Audition Cattle Calls and Vocalist Abuse

OK, I'm back and I'm mad!

Yes, I'm finally moved into my new digs and will now get back to regular posts on this blog. I hope you missed me-

This one is going to be a rant. I have a question for everyone who sets up audition "cattle calls" for these American Idol shows and spin-offs. Why do you have singers standing in the extreme cold from the wee hours of the morning (say 3 or 4 o'clock am) until you finally allow them to sing- cold, tired and numb- sometime in the latter part of the day? Do you know these are human beings? Do you know that their voices, not to mention their bodies, are affected by such abuse? These people are worth more than this. They allow themselves to be treated this way, then usually leave with their hearts broken. Yes, the music business is hard, but does it have to be CRUEL?

Why can't you designate a warm, dry, safe place somewhere for people to wait for their auditions? Maybe have a cutoff after so many show up, then hold auditions for more days? You know, money considerations sometimes have to make room for basic human rights. If you auditioners ran a third world country, we might not be trading with you.

I've heard these horror stories from my clients for a couple weeks in a row, and I'd like to join any other voice teacher who'd like to throw in on this protest. I'd also like to hear from any of you reading this blog who have had similar experience with this kind of auditioning. Maybe we can raise our voices and get these practices changed. Click the comment link and tell us your story.

Overpowering Vocals

Overpowering vocals is bad vocal technique because it communicates a kind of power that is counterproductive on several levels, including:

• Yelling is not persuasive communication that invites listening. So if you want me to listen to you, don't yell at me.
• Screaming your melody to the top of your lungs may make me monentarily go "Wow, the singer is certainly trying to be great", but it won't make me go buy your album.
• Over-blowing your vocal cords hurts them. If you value your instrument, you must take care of it unless you intend it to only work badly for a short season.

Watching the Country Music Awards Show last night (just like every other genre of music award show where energy and emotions are high), I saw overpowering in several performances. If you've never done these kinds of shows, they tend to be events where it's hard to hear well. You have a lot of ambient sound swirling round and it's easy to get disoriented, disconnected to your voice. Then, oh my gosh, you have to make such an impact so you give it all you've got.

Mistake.

Giving it all you've got translates to pushing 100% of the breath pressure you have available through your vocal cords- and 100% is TOO MUCH PRESSURE! Doing this always results in a lack of control. Lack of control makes you pitchy, makes your vibrato flutter irregularly or unnaturally, makes you unable to execute vocal embellishments (licks or ad libs) well. It also causes your tone to be too thin or harsh, because it tightens your throat.

You need to do what great sparring partners do... learn to pull your punches. Control what you are giving out and it will be much more effective (not to mention, it won't hurt them or you!). Back off the forward breath pressure until your power seems to be balanced at your tailbone. Then you can actually give more communicative life to your performance.

Here's the magic equation for best vocal performance:
Back off the pressure and add passion.

Country artists who habitually balance pressure and passion just right include Reba (the queen of balanced vocals), LeAnn Rimes, Faith, Trisha, Jennifer Nettles, Clay Walker, Brad Paisley, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks and sometimes Keith Urban (he began pushing too hard at the end of his performance). Notice again... these all give quite empassioned performances. Martina and Gary of Rascal Flatts can also be great and balanced but were, I thought, pushing just a little too hard last night.

Did you catch the CMA's last night? Do you agree with my assessments? What did I miss?

Remastering Old Records and Tapes

I'd like to alert you to a new service a producer friend of mine named Dick McVey is offering: Digitally remastering old records and cassette tapes. I would think it would make a cool gift idea for someone... I have old cassettes of my son when he was a baby and if the oxide is still viable, I hope Dick can bring them to life and put them on CD. There are many people who can do this, but I'm sure Dick will offer a fair price on this service.

If you're interested in talking to Dick, here's his contact info:

Dick McVey
876 Springfield Hwy
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
Phone 615-264-3637
Cell: 615-714-3637
Website: www.dickmcvey.com
Email: dickmcvey@comcast.net

Bob Baker Workshop review

Bob Baker is an indie marketing guru. He is known for his focus on empowering the indie musician and artist to truly succeed in the marketplace.I attended the "Guerrilla Music Marketing Workshop" Bob held in Nashville last week and thought I'd give you a review.

I don't want to give away intellectual material, so to summarize, Bob gave us a step-by-step understanding of the core of music marketing. I already knew a lot of it, from studying Internet marketing last winter, but he made perfect sense of it, tying it together into lists of things like "7 Secrets to Low-Cost Music Promotion", "3 Steps to Effective Music Marketing", "The 4 D's of Music Promotion". He showed how important it is to be persistent through what Internet marketing master Seth Godin calls the "dip" in your career. A dip is, by definition, right before a climb.

Bob had several special guest speakers join him- and I learned as much from them as from Baker himself.

• Doak Turner of The Nashville Muse ezine talked about everything from having business cards on you to NOT shoving your demo down the throat of music person you meet for the first time!
• Pop artist CC (don't remember last name) of http://www.firepitfriday.com/ podcast talked about this dynamite new Internet talk show opportunity- for artists by artists.
• David Hooper of Music Business Radio (I blogged about this show to you in a previous post) encouraged people to have accountability partners, to support the "scene" and the "scene" will support you, to be yourself when you ply your craft and suggested that all your marketing efforts must get a return worth the effort.
• Keith Mohr of Christian indie distributor IndieHeaven talked about finding a niche, connecting with musicians and artists similar to you, to start local and build regions of fans from there, to remember that bigger is not always better, that procrastination is your enemy, and - important- NOT to put mediocre content online. (uh- some of you may want to check your online audio clips!)

Bob and his special guests discussed ways to reach fans and bypass industry bottlenecks. He very much believes that you must chip away at success a little at time to build a prosperous, lasting career.

I came away feeling better than ever about the real possibilities of building a money-making career without being signed to a major label, IF you want to work hard and smart at it. What's that old saying..."Where there's a will there's a way!" I invite you to share your thoughts and experiences by clicking the comment link below this post.

Music marketing workshop alert, Taylor Horn on Access Hollywood

Attention indie market people:

Bob Baker, of TheBuzzFactor.com and "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" fame, is coming to Nashville, TN Sept. 6th and to Asheville, NC Sept. 10th to hold a couple of workshops. Check out the info here: http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music-workshops.html.

I've been reading this guy's blog for a while, I purchased some of his programs and I'm very happy with the ton of information I'm getting from him.

Also, watch for my student and production client Taylor Horn, who was just interviewed for "Access Hollywood". Her interview may air as soon as tomorrow!

Got news? Let me know... I'm compiling stuff for my September newsletter.

Music Business Radio

Got a cool link for those of you songwriters wanting to stay clued in to what's happening on the Row:


Music Business Radio is a blog and podcast. It must be rather new; it has great reviews so far and I find it very interesting.

Recent guests include guitarist John Strohm, publishing mogul Pat Higdon, major video director Chad Denning, songwriter Billy Yates, music publishing consortium "Chicks With Hits". Random songs (I don't know how they are chosen) and reviewed by guests at the end of every show.

This innovative podcast is sponsored by Nashville's radio station "Lightning 100" - WRLT 100.1
If you're listening regular radio (is that even still cool?), the show comes on Sunday nights at 7 pm.

Paul Potts: The impossible vocal success

It never could have happened. Everything was against it. But it did. As his website puts it, "In seven amazing days, Paul Potts went from selling mobile phones in Wales to "Britain's Got Talent" and signing a lucrative record deal with Simon Cowell".

Oh yes- he also has an album which is in it's second week at #1 on the UK charts, has had over 100,000 original visitor hits on his website (only a couple weeks since it went live), and is now scheduled to sing for the Queen.


Why is this man's music business success a miracle?

• He is rather plain-looking
• He has a shy, humble personality
• He sings Opera!

BUT... Here's what the man DID have:

• Passion
• Courage
• Determination to be himself and sing his own style
• Training (He dedicated scarce funds to study classical voice in Italy)

Watch this You Tube video...Simon Cowell LOVED him.

True, there are other examples of artists sticking to their artistic guns and failing. It is important to listen to wise council and to be willing to explore new musical boundaries to see what indeed DOES fit you best. It's also important to know your definition of "artistic failure".

But I believe it is most important to know yourself, and to choose music that your heart can love and communicate. Otherwise it's all "sounding brass and tinkling cymbals"(1 Cor. 13), "sound and fury signifying nothing" (Shakespeare).

Hey... Don't you think it appropriate that this post contains a little Shakespeare?!

"She Thinks That She'll Marry" video found

For a trip down memory lane, check this You Tube video out:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=410850582229581196

It's a song I wrote about a friend of mine who was in a bad relationship. I started writing it in Memphis, then moved to Nashville and finally got the last verse with co-writer Duane Orender about three years later. The song, "She Thinks That She'll Marry", helped land me a production deal with Tommy West (Jim Croce's producer) and became a top 10 Billboard hit in the '80s.

Studio engineer and producer Ronny Light discovered this on YouTube and alerted me.
Just goes to show- you never know where your music may show up- or when! So we best try to make it good :)