Entertainment Management

I interviewed a manager of clients like Christian hip-hop artist, musicians, and singers.  He said he heavily deals in negotiations 75% of the time. I truly thank him for the time he made for me.

Me: Ok..I know you have managed different artist which means you have had to negotiate on their behalf in some way. Can you give me a brief description of what type is your business, and how much of your business is negotiations?

Dave:  Sure...I do mostly artist development & road management although I have been heavily involved in contract negotiations for record deals, DVD production deals, & publishing deals. About 75% is negotiations...even negotiating with the artists I represent.

Me:  Awesome..I definitely have a lot to learn from you!

Dave:  Successful negotiations always begins with you knowing two starting points...your WATNA (worst alternative to a negotiated agreement) and your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). All the space in between these two points is your room for negotiation.The goal is to end closest to your BATNA while facilitating a win-win agreement between opposing parties.

Me:  That's what I was going to ask you..When reaching for your BATNA, how have you handled separating people from the problem..if any. How do you separate the emotion?

Dave:  Separating the emotion isn't very easy all the time...honestly, I've had to remove myself at times by taking any "gain" for myself out of it. In other words, I've done lots of negotiations pro bono. I build in my take away on the other side of my successful negotiations.

Me:      I hear you, that has to be hard at times, especially know that some of your clients have been your friends as well.

            One last question and I'll let you go, can you give me an example of a time of how you worked toward a 'mutual benefit' when negotiating?

            Also, what is your favorite type of deal?

Dave:  Remaining neutral is essential. You have to do your research to know what is of value to the opposing party as well as know what is of value to the individual you represent. Also, you must think of more than immediate gratification...think big to make concessions or offerings over time

Dave:  I don't have a favorite type. Just as long as I can make all parties feel as of they've had their main needs/wants satisfied.

Me:  Well put Dave..I can tell this is your passion and study to show yourself approved:) I can't wait to sit and really talk with you this summer. Thank you sooo much for your time  

Four Quick Fixes To Your Songs

So I was checking out BMIs news section and noticed an interesting article on Song Writing.  This blog was written by Cliff GoldMacher, who has a couple of studios in Nashville and California, also is a songwriter, producer, session musician, and engineer.  The article focuses on what he believes to be four quick fixes when writing a song. These include cutting your intro in half, putting more concrete details in your verses, your chorus should be what your song is about, and make similar sections have similar structures.

Now the first quick fix, cut your intro in half speaks to all of us who feel so passionate about the vibes and sounds coming from our session and how it makes us feel.  Goldmacher reminds us to remember that people who’ve never heard a song before are not quite attentive the first time or second.  You must give the listener something to remember, therefore getting to that verse quick.

Put more concrete details in your verses. Goldmacher suggest using imagery, or painting a picture when writing your verses.  This makes your writing more colorful and exudes variety, though you could be saying something really simple. He used the popular phrase as an example, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and you get the picture, rightJ

Your chorus should be what your song is about. He notes that your choruses should definitely drive the point of your song home.  Your verses should connect the song right to the conclusion, the chorus. He says, “This is where your message becomes clear and memorable”.

Lastly, he says to make sure similar sections have similar structures.  That being said he means that your first verse should match your second verse.  Though he does mention that this is just his opinion and makes things simplified and memorable, and for commercial music, memorable is good.  He also reminds us that song writing is definitely an art and there is no particular right or wrong way to write, but these quick fixes or guidelines can be a blessing and I agree since it could possibly make the difference of making a song pop or not.

The Bee Gees Member Robin Gibb

The Bee Gees

Who are they? I’d heard more of their music than as a group, so I figured I find out a little more. First off, if you’ve seen the classic movie “Saturday Night Fever”, you’ve heard the music; you’ve heard the song, “Staying Alive”. This movie was made popular in the late 70s and its then young star, John Travolta plays a young single guy who frequents the discotheque’ on the weekends. Even though I was only 4 years old, I’ve watched and enjoyed this movie several times and as I write this blog am listening and grooving to the movie’s hit song.

Sadly, one of the Bee Gee’s members Robin Gibb died at the young age of 62.  His life is definitely celebrated as he is quoted saying, “an artist is an artist because he is not happy with the world”.  Wow! What a quote! I believe he did just that in his unique way.  Consequently, though fans mourned his death, they also paid homage to he and the Bee Gee’s by causing their record sales to soar.  Article from Billboard says that the Bee Gee’s album sales soared to 319%.   Their two biggest songs were “Staying Alive” and “How Deep is Your Love”.  Greatfully, his estate will receive these residuals.

Works Cited

Caulfield, K. (2012, May 30). BEE Gees' Album Sales Jump 319% After Robin Gibb's Death [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.com/news#/news/bee-gees-album-sales-jump-339-after-robin-1007188762.story

Graff, G. (2012, May 20). Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees dead at 62 [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.com/news#/news/robin-gibb-of-the-bee-gees-dead-at-62-1007106952.story

YouTube (2009, December 11). Saturday Night Fever (1977) Trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq4ZMKqWk80

RIAA-Recording Industry Association of America

The RIAA..we'll call it represents a wealth of music information.  It stands for the Recording Industry Association of America. You can find artist of any genre's information on latest news, top selling songs, who's record went gold or platinum, even links to other musical sites that would be of help to you.

There was a section on piracy that in simple terms spoke to how one commits online piracy.  Some of the statements shared how its ok to buy a cd and make a copy for yourself, but it becomes piracy if you make the songs mp3s and send them to your friends or placed them on online file-sharing sites.  Even if you pay a fee to be on these file-sharing sites, you have to make sure that the sites has its licensing through the major record labels.

Their research information for parents and educators grabbed me as well. For parents who are concerned about what their children are listening to, they gave suggestions on instead of banning your children from listening to certain music, spend time with them teaching them the moral issues that are represented in your home while discussing the lyrics as well. Parents were also reminded of the Parental Advisory Label that are on cds that may not be appropriate for their children.  As for educators, (which I will use), there is a component that gives a curriculum to help educators show students how to use the internet safely while surfing online.

So its safe to say that RIAA has a wealth of information concerning the music industry that I'll be able to use as a permanent resource for my company.

A New Connection-Blazetrak

A New Connection-Blazetrak

So I’ve been writing songs, for 23 years now.  It may have started out as a hobby, but now it’s in me to write more than I’ve ever had.  I‘ve tried to leave writing alone and just focus on my second career of teaching, but every time I did, it would just put me in this place that I didn’t like.  I would find myself being down not knowing why. But I would hear a track a producer friend would send me and wind up staying up all night just to work on a song and get right up to go to work.  That’s living to me. 

It’s been hard though making the right connections.  It’s often said that getting somewhere in this business that its in who you know.  Well, that can be frustrating, especially when I began raising a family.  It became harder and harder to spend the sleepless nights in the studio creating with some of the best to collaborate.  Now its more like I want to work on this song, but I’m so tired from working, spending time with my husband and children that there’s not enough energy in me to do this every day.  So what do we do?  Check out Blazetrak.

What’s Blazetrak? Blazetrak is a company that allows creators from all around the world to connect with some of the hottest artist and producers in the industry.  Co-founder Ron Harrison said that he and his co-founder were working for a small label and were frustrated at the mass amounts of demos that were sent daily.  They thought to themselves lets start charging people to listen to their demos and it seemed that more people started sending the demos in because they knew they would actually get feedback.  This was a great revelation for them and they realized this is a way for them to start their company.

Blazetrak began in 2009 and is still going strong.  There’s a membership fee of $49.99 then you have to purchase credits, which range from $8.50 to $15.00 per credit.  Each celebrity could range from 0 credits, which would be free, that may introduce you to some names you’re not necessarily familiar.  You will have to do some digging just to see if they’re legit to send your music. A small star like Blake Lewis asks for 8 credits but a huge star like Paul Worley, grammy producer of Lady Antebellum and winner of the country album of the year in 2012 asks for 12 credits. Once you submit your song, music or question, they have 30 days to give you a personal response. Does it work?  There are success stories on the website as well.  

Will you try it? Let me know, I’ll come back and tell you about my experience.  Thanks for readingJ

Jacki

Lionel Richie Comeback

So do you remember the song Say You, Say Me, All Night Long, the classic Endless Love or my favorite Hello? These are the masterpieces of the great song writer Lionel Richie, who is making his comeback doing a country album laced with special duets with the likes of Blake Shelton and Shania Twain.

I remember the Hello video distinctively as the clay is molded in his head and face.  A little creep huh?  Well I was young then, but not know then that those were the hits I would know for years to come.

The article in Billboard talks about this songwriter singer  and how after all of these years coming back.  Why he wants to come back doing duets with other stars basically taking the 'shine' off of himself.  Gail Mitchell asks the question, "Why doesn't Lionel just do Lionel?"  Lionel Richie discusses wishing he had done this a long time ago and it wasn't necessarily a purpose behind it, he just wanted to do it.  His new manager says, "We just want to get Lionel back in people's living rooms again.

If you'd like to check out his interview click here

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Lauryn Hill is back!

So this past Saturday I was invited by my cousin (James Rouse) to hang out at the Lauryn Hill concert at the Caesers Palace's venue Circus Maximus in Atlantic City, N. J.. This is my second time seeing her since last year in Philadelphia at the TLA. Show would be starting kind of late, but the venue was really nice and our seats were stage right:) I wasn't sure of what to expect, but I was hoping it was going to be better than what I saw last year.

Yes, I heard the rumors of her being late and not sounding good. Stef Mitchell wrote a blog of when she came to Williamsburg Music Hall, he said it was the worst ever. No matter what I've always been a fan of her 'swag',  style of dress, and especially her tone of voice. At last year's concert she was only fifteen minutes late.  The set was good, but she wasn't in the best voice.  She sounded hoarse.  I was disappointed.  Last Saturday is was a breath of fresh air.

First, let me just say that my cousin James Rouse is the drummer for Ms. Hill's tour right now.  So I had great seats on the right side of him on stage. I was able to hear and see everything. Her show began with a DJ for about forty-five minutes then the band joined him.  The band was absolutely crazy! Yes, I may be biased because my cousin was playing for her, but every last band member was a great asset!

Lauryn was about twenty minutes late, but ready.  It was a non-stop two-hour set.  She sang the old Miseducation of Lauryn Hill project along with some of the Fugees hits like Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly. But that wasn't it. Her voice sounded so good this time.  My favorite song of hers is X-Factor and she did a wonderful job.  It was a good feeling knowing that she's out here doing her thing again and even working on some new music. I know it'll be hard to follow the Miseducation album, but as long as she's singing like I heard her on Saturday, she could sing the ABCs and I'd be happy:) I'm attaching this YouTube video with her on the FUSE network. Check it out!