It's All In Front Of Us

I've just arrived in Bern, Switzerland to play a few shows and I attended the opening press event where I witnessed a group of young musicians ranging in age from 18 to 28 playing in a Jazz Big Band. They were a part of the Bern school of music. Every time I'm in Europe I'm struck by how much they put the music first. In the states we often complain that there is no REAL music and so forth but we just have to open our eyes and ears because it's all in front of us. The band of students I witnessed were playing new arrangements by a Belgian composer and it was beautiful to see them be so excited about learning. I think we sometimes get so caught up in opinions and genres that we miss so much of the beauty that exists around us everyday. It is vital that we get back to a place where we participate in life and not just watch it pass us by as we stand there and dole out opinions. We have to also constantly look behind our own backyards. This is a BIG world and if you simply look and listen, you will see that music education and arts are thriving because there are students all over the world that want to know and learn as much as they can about this craft. We must also remember that we are ALL always learning. We just have to stay open to see what's right in front of us. Being a creative person in a gift and a blessing and we must not take it for granted. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved By Airtight Productions 2012

You Get What You Negotiate

I read a post a couple of days ago form an older artist who had been a part of a very successful group. They had gold records and a few hits, but he mentioned that during the height of their success it took him years to receive any royalties. He also mentioned that his music had been used in several films and he was only paid a few hundred dollars for licensing. He's now retired and barely living on a social security check. Yes, he is still owed tons of back royalties but can't afford an attorney to fight it. I know we've all heard hundreds of these kinds of stories. The music industry was and still is a tough business but let's never for get that it is a business FIRST and you only get what you negotiate. Most artist are so busy focusing on being famous that when they have even a little success their ego can sometimes cloud their judgement. Let's face it, their is just nothing exciting or fabulous about doing tons of paperwork including filing copyrights and publishing papers. So many artists sign agreements without fully understanding the dreaded fine print. It is important that you are aware of every single clause and what it means. A record deal or now 360 deal (which are horrible by the way) is only a loan. If you borrow money from a bank, you will negotiate to get the best interest rate and terms of payback that best suit you. Well you should look at any contractual agreement the same way. Don't walk into any meeting trying to be an artist. WALK IN AS A BUSINESS MAN/WOMAN. Negotiate terms that will pay off the advance or label investment as well as get you paid not only in the short term but the long term. You want a deal that gives you a percentage ownership stake in everything that you generate from performance royalties, publishing, mechanicals, licensing. . . etc. You need to also look at the length of the agreement. Don't sign your life away. There is so much more to consider, much more than I have time or space to write in this setting, (I will cover it in depth in my book). Just remember that you only get what you negotiate and if you make a bad deal, it's not the other guy's fault, he was looking out for his interest, NOT YOURS. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2012

Being A Musician

As the music industry resets itself and we all try to make sense of it all, some things are inevitably the same. Even though the entire entertainment industry revolves around the talent, it seems that the artists are always on the bottom of the pile when it comes to respect and financial consideration. I don't mean to appear as if I'm just beating a "Get Money" drum, I'm just trying to help us make sense of and see the reality we are dealing with. Being a musician is much like being a teacher. Teachers are probably the most important people in our society yet they are sorely underpaid and not well respected. The same can be said for the treatment of musicians. Everyone loves music and they want to be able to go out and enjoy great musicians and hire us for their events but when it comes to compensation, people just don't see what we do as a viable or valuable asset. Why do you think this is? Well, I think it's because for so long we, just as teachers, have allowed people to take what we do for granted. This happens largely because being a musician or teacher is a passionate calling and not a career chosen necessarily for it's financial rewards. It just seems to me that as our industry resets, this is a great time for us to establish another level of respect in the hiring community. We need to educate people on the value of what we do and why they MUST compensate us for it. I can't tell you how many people I meet that will ask how I make a living as a musician because they just don't see or respect it as a REAL career. Well guess what? IT IS A REAL CAREER! And it is up to us to help start to turn the tide. I feel the same way about teachers being that most of us as musicians are also educators in one way or another. No need to complain let's just CHANGE IT. Perception is reality so let's give people another perception of who we are, what we do and what it is worth. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2012