Top way to upgrade your music career
February 4, 2023
Do you ever wonder about how to upgrade your music career easily?
This is what worked for me the best…
Chris
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Hey! Give us a shout about anything really.
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Our goal is for you to start getting your music into TV & film.
Very inspirational video. I wanted to know if that music supervisors would keep that play list for his next/coming briefs despite not immediately using all them now? Thank you for providing us with that opportunity.
They usually do for shows which are ongoing, but because this is a one-off ad, they likely won’t. Glad to be able to offer this to the students!
Hi Chris,
I could have sent in a couple of heavier rocks song when the request came in, but they weren’t really like the AC/DC number, possibly more like Black Sabbath without Ozzy’s vocal. I also play & sing in a Scottish Ceilidh & Covers Band for parties , Weddings etc, so the guys in the band I’ve known for a long time, since 1990.I’ve also been out with top jazz musicians in Edinburgh/Scotland as the Singer as my voice quite suits swing standards Sinatra, Cole Porter songs etc.So I suppose the A listers have been the jazz guys.Although I’m not doing that now! One of the guys in the Ceilidh/ Function Band, Dave is my fellow song writing partner in our duo Blue Fox Knights, so we have enabled each other to write, record & perform our 26 songs so far.Our genre which has been difficult to define is Celtic Folk Rock with a Spiritual & Mystical Twist.I noted one of the music supervisors on the first Sunday webinar was looking for possibly this type of music.Folk on spiritual & mystical journeys etc.Our Songs were mixed & mastered by an engineer in a professional studio, so having not worked with a top producer before, the question I have is always what would the difference be? I remember watching a TV show, some years ago, about Ron Sexsmith turning to a producer to help him become a more commercially successful artist. As he wasn’t happy with his lot at the time.I don’t think the end result was shown in the show, but I note that you have worked with him.Anyway all of our Blue Fox Knights songs can be heard at http://www.bluefoxknights.com , as we thought we may as well have them on our website.Sorry to digress somewhat, but I thought it was useful to say a little bit more about me to help you know me a little better. Regards Philp
A pro producer can help bring out things in your songs that you didn’t know were there. They can turn a live off the floor recording into a masterpiece, but they aren’t all created equal. Thanks for sharing your story.
Hi Chris! I related to this concept completely. I always feel when I’m in a period where my friends are mostly musicians, I ended up playing out more and pursuing music full time and making more in-roads that way. I went to music college and that was always the funnest part of my life, so I try to recreate that in adult real life and have been trying ever since! LOL There is something to be said about staying a Big Kid forever. Family life and non-musical friends can dictate a lot of your time as well and although I love and appreciate that part of my life, I always feel the pull towards great achievement in music-like I haven’t yet become the person in music I’m supposed to be yet Personal relationships are so important to me though, so I have sometimes found myself exploring tangents that take me on detours away from success in music, but it’s hard to say no. But the more I surround myself with people that are better than me, (and more successful!) the more inspired I am and the more I feel like I belong here and need to give myself a fair shot by upping my game. I have been a lifelong musician/keyboard player/songwriter put out records etc, even produced a few people. Basically I’ve been training my whole life…but its high time I actually got in the game for real. I feel like I was meant to do bigger things.
Great to hear, Beth! And I encourage staying a big kid forever. 🙂
Chris,
This is my 5th career, and I have found your adage true in both my successes and failures. In the corporate world, I struck up relationships with people who advanced my career. I consulted radio stations around the country and developed clients with these 5 people as "patrons"– a word you didn’t use, but one I think applies to what you’re talking about. Mike, Harvey, Andy, Marc and Jeff all put me in a position to succeed in part because I am a very good learner and because I got things done for them.
I had similar relationships in education. When the economy fell apart in 2009, I became an inner city high school teacher while getting a graduate degree. As a published historian, I had a professor who, while a groundbreaking academian, could be a little prickly. We’d hang out a baseball games and talk about colonial america. Right before I went full time with the music I thought I’d continue on this path, but found my relationship with him tied to the bridges he had burnt. The relationships you’re talking about can get pretty political.
I have the product and the skillset to make sync licensing work. I’m very dialed into what you’re talking about with the relationships you obviously have.
Jefferson Berry
Class of ’73 & ’23
Thanks for sharing Jeff. Yes I agree, it is important to choose your mentors wisely.
Hi Chris,
I think about this. Am I swimming in a good pool? I am. But, I am also just getting over the envy. I was always looking upstream at who is the other pools. A singer I work with tours with Joe Walsh, has sung with the Tom Petty Band, and others. Steve Perry is singing backup on the songs I wrote for her. I am no longer envious.
I am where I am because of the people I already have. Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Thom Flowers producer for Mr. Perry. Teddy Jack, Leon Russell’s son produced my very first studio cut. And many others.
Ever since the recording career started, the money has come from unexpected places, and great and amazing people have been there. It’s a business of accepting the miraculous.
You are swimming in a good pool, David. Good to hear you aren’t envious any more and figured out how to do what do without all that. I like your last line.
Hi Chris,
Great subject, and I totally agree. My problem has been finding collaborators and musicians to work with that are as committed as me.
I do have a question while I’m here. When we submit songs for a brief, do they automatically get added to the boutique catalog and remain there?
Thanks,
David Cook
Hi David,
Keep looking! They are out there. As for your question, it sounds like you are a student in which case just post it in your student portal and we’ll get right to it.
Musically speaking, the people in my life that I spend the most time with are not really part of what I’m trying to do. If we limit it to the people in my music community, there are plenty of them that I have learned many useful things from, but there are limits since we don’t all want the same things out of music. I wish to eventually have music be my only source of income, and be able to make a living. (Not "get rich", not "get famous", just make a living.) This isn’t the goal for people in my music community, and that’s just fine, but it means that there are probably limits to how much I am able to help them, as much as I’d like to see us as a community all grow together.
Well if you are a student in The Art Of The Song Pitch you are in the right place to make an income with your music! I can just say that when you find the right synergy with some ‘A’ players life changes quickly for the better.
hey Chris, i very much relate to the idea of trying to be around people that do what you do but are better than you. As a player, a drummer, a musician, an improvisor, i always want to play with the best people i can- i want to be the worst player in the group because that means i have to be focused, i have to stay on-point, and there are nerves involved, but also the exhilaration of a good challenge. In 2004 i was selected for a composer/performer fellowship run on a farm in upstate New York (fortunately i had been recommended by a legacy (a then-current bandmate)). There were some amazing musicians there from all over the world, jazz & avant-garde musicians, traditional musicians, and even a successful neo-classical composer. At first I wasn’t sure I really belonged, my resume of "actual accomplishments" was pretty short and i have minimal musical training, but after a week of jam sessions and workshops, i felt respected and appreciated and it meant a lot to me. It’s one thing to be told "you’re really talented" by your family or teachers or friends, but it’s much different to discover you fit in with a bunch of accomplished musicians that you really respect. I confess: getting a few thumbs-ups on one of my songs from our facebook group bolstered my confidence. Here in Houston I’ve been told I’m well-respected in the improvised music community (it’s a very good scene with some talented players & good people), but the improvised music i adore playing is pretty far-removed from being a songwriter, so it’s good to get a little appreciation from some accomplished songwriters. I will say, my improvising nature is sort of a secret weapon when i’m recording and producing a song. I don’t quantize anything or build on a basic beat. I record a voice & guitar song, and then start improvising with other instruments on top of that. Keeps things loose and alive I think.
Relative to yesterday’s placement: I know the track i submitted didn’t sound like AC/DC, but i read through the brief a couple of times and felt like i had a song that worked elementally with what the brief asked for. I listened to the song a couple of times, re-read the brief a few times, listened again, i could picture the song working for the scene. And i remembered Garrett McElver talking about getting songs that weren’t 100% on point with the placeholder song, but that could be logically justified as a possibility because it fit most of the other requirements of the brief. I figured this was my opportunity to try to figure out how that formulation might work- how much weight did sounding like AC/DC hold over fitting the brief in "every" other way. My track was actually a rockin’ remix I’d done of a friend’s sleazy soul track. Yesterday was hectic- i managed to get a hold of him and he was totally on-board with the opportunity and a 50/50 split, so then I had to rescue the track from my old computer which no longer held the licenses for several plug-ins, transfer to my new machine, make a couple of little tweaks, then try to figure out all the metadata stuff (the grouping field really threw me for a loop). Julie was very helpful despite the late hour, and I managed to get it uploaded before deadline. I would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall when y’all were putting the playlist together, just to hear what y’all were thinking in terms of fit. And i realized yeah, this is just a big series of people trying to move songs up a chain, and at each step of the way, people are wondering "is this the right fit?" I don’t know if i made y’all’s final playlist- i hope so of course lol.
and…back to the reason I signed up for this course. Because it was an opportunity to actually meet the right people, people that could help me realize a dream, people that i could help further their own dream. And i sure hope it happens.
Doing research tonight and the 2006 movie "Nacho Libre" led me to a couple of current heavy-hitters in the industry, and I even watched a 22 minute interview with one of them just before i came back here to post on your video.
I think I would’ve backed out (remember the 14-day money back guarantee! lol) but you just struck me as a really genuine person, and a man of your word, and you stuck around for hours to answer people’s questions, we got to hear actual music supes, and even offered us the opportunity to submit for some briefs. I’m really looking forward to what this course brings, the songwriter workshops, all the guests, all the knowledge. It is, as you said, an opportunity to forge a new circle of talented, intelligent, dedicated, successful colleagues. Here’s to the future!
Great to hear about your step up into a world with your top drumming peers. Good to have you aboard in The Art Of The Song Pitch and glad you see the value. We are just getting started!
I whole heartedly agree with your philosophy Chris. It’s not the first time I have come across it – I have studied many self help gurus – Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins etc, and they all pretty well say the same. And so, with that in mind, I always wanted to lift my game and ‘play tennis’ with someone so much better than me.
I wanted so very much to find a mentor that I could emulate and be guided by, but (and here comes the ‘but’), I found that entering into this business of music on a ‘professional’ level, as a mature aged woman in a very small music market where the general ethos leaned towards a ‘zero sum gain’ philosophy, that mentors, or more skilled, like minded people were just so few and far between and basically non existent …
I did fraternise with very small group of wonderful, professional musician friends when in Nashville (I travelled there from Perth Western Australia every year for around 15 years), but it was a bit hard to keep that momentum going once I returned home – and then of course Covid got in the way.
So, over the years I have adopted another mantra which is; ‘Forge your own path and leave a trail’.
The upside of being down on Covid is that I have been forced to embrace technology, making my world a smaller place through Zoom and online meetings – and so I have been able to enroll in classes such as AOTSP as well as find ‘mentors’ and rub shoulders with like minded people that way … and so I look forward to your mentorship and that of class mates. Thank you for what you have shared so far … invaluable!
Thanks for sharing, Connie. Great to have you in the class and that you are already on your way in your heart. We have lots of amazing things planned for you!
I like others, have heard a similar mantra to yours and its true, the people around you affect how your life goes in that moment.
I have always known that I need to meet and become friends with people in music, just for the vibe, rather than any gain for me.
And years on and a friendship I made 30 years ago began to pay off when he invited me to a Jam night he was running, where I met and became friends with a childhood hero of mine, John Beck (It Bites keyboards man) who has complimented my drumming on several occasions, and that is enough to spur me onto keep creating songs.
Then in lockdown I wrote a song about my mum and through Facebook asked Leyland Sklar to play bass on it – he happily agreed and played a wonderful bass line to it (I’ve uploaded that song for your appraisal), this proves a point – being friends with great musicians improves you, fills you with confidence to reach out and climb mountains.
Well it did in my case.
There is still a very long way to go and this course is just another stepping stone on the climb.
My parents brought me up to believe that everything happens for the best. Which in my mind translates to "the universe will give you opportunities through the connections you make with people, at any point in time".
Love your attitude, Colin. I couldn’t agree more.
This is so true! If i look back at my life, the most fulfilling times were always those where you find that deep connection with like-minded people who share your deepest passions – in my case, as probably most here, that’s music. I did not care if they were musicians or just loeved to go to concerts and festivals with me, or whatever. the beautiful thing with songwriting, to me, is, how it resonates with your surroundings. I never used friends to get ahead (some are very well connected), but it happened. Organically. And as a result, not as a plan. It was always friendship first, for me. If i meet people i should connect with because it is supposed to be good for my career – it might work, now and then, but, for me, the personal connection always comes first. As a copywriting freelancer for over 13 years with big brands, the best job connections always were personal first. So, look at me blabbering. 😀 Just saying – i wholeheartedly agree. Greets from Munich. PS: The Songwriting Academy (TSA) Platinum Mentorship year is great for that, I just finished mine, if any of you want to do something on top of syncsongwriter, i fully recommend it.
Thanks for reaching out about this from Munich, Nicolai. Great to hear you agree!
Thanks for this encouragement Chris. This has absolutely proven to be true for me! The mindset of those you keep around you is so important.
👍
I took up song writing years ago as a hobby/outlet but eventually came to the conclusion I was sort of spinning my wheels. Objectively, I had weaknesses you could drive a truck through. Most wounds self-inflicted. Long story short, I started hanging and collaborating with a musician/producer who brought skills and experience to the table that I didn’t have, not to mention his own cool musician network. I would have quit years ago out of isolation with this kind of support
Nice to hear, it sounds like you found salvation for your music working with others. 👍
Yes! Absolutely. This is one of the main reasons I joined Cheryl B Engelhardt’s Amplify group. I wasn’t around any indie musicians that were really pursuing a career in music. Most of my musician friends were just doing it for fun and only occasionally playing gigs or writing songs. Since joining the group, I have so much more confidence and I’m taking more risks – like signing up for AOTSP! This course is a financial risk for me but I already feel more confident by being in THIS group. Also, the universe sent me an opportunity for a placement just days after signing up for AOTSP. I didn’t land it, but I stretched myself to even go after it. So I’m already growing.
Love hearing that, Stephanie. Great to have you in the class!
Hi Chris, This is such great advice and certainly the kind of more reflective and emotional guidance that I feel is so easily underestimated in our creative growing and I love that you’ve set this kind of tone with your course at this early stage.
I feel we’re all searching for validation in probably all the wrong places and from my own personal journey, it was a great discovery to be encouraged to look at those 5 people closest to me to see who I truly am. It’s so easy to feel that everyone else has it sorted and the more we can free ourselves of what success looks and feels like, the greater likelihood is of finding our true connection to those who resonate with or just above us! ……Love it…Thanks.🙏
Absolutely, Tim, which also leads to success!
Hey Chris. great advice. I would also add, hang out with positive people who are moving forward, and those that really support what you are doing. I recently left several cover bands to pursue my original music career(a large part of that is your AOTSP program I just joined this year). These musicians were some of the best I ever worked with but they had no desire (or were scared) to write, record, and perform original music, although several of them are excellent songwriters. I had to make my move from the safety of the $100 gigs to putting myself completely out there to sink or swim. I have two positive influences that helped me make that decision, support me, and believe in what I write. That support is invaluable, and I believe with this years AOSTP group I will find even more support and collaborators. Thanks
Great to hear, Reid. Looking forward to helping you get your music into TV & film!
You are spot on Chris. Rise up to your next height by immersing yourself in that culture and learn. Bring your besties along who support you no matter what – they will celebrate your success with you. If you start to fall, they will be there for you to help you with your focus. You have things to offer others as you move through a variety of circles.
Totally agree, Victoria.
Greetings Chris,
Everything you said is right. I come from a musical family so I’ve been surrounded by musicians that are better than me.
The only way to learn is mix with people who know more than you .💯
As for that brief, the opportunity would not have been there if I wasn’t part of this course. So I’m thankful. I just wish I would have checked my email earlier so I could have submitted something . But I’m sure there will be other briefings.
Anyways thanks for dropping bonus nuggets of knowledge.
Respectfully,
Michael Walker
There will be others, Michael. Lots of them.
Chris,
If you could imagine for a minute please;
Last night I worked till midnight trying to keep roads clear plowing for the NYSDOT. Amy and I were having an awesome breakfast at our favorite local diner this morning, after a night of 30 below zero windchill and whiteouts and a morning of negative 2 degrees out.
I showed her the last brief you sent and was telling her how I was at work and the brief was due at 11:59pm, now; know that I’m working at at lunch around 5:00pm, and I get out of work at 12:00am and then I found your e-mail.
I was telling Amy that I had to get creative. I downloaded 2 songs from my local website that I felt were close and converted them to MP3 after downloading a conversation app to my phone, then was able to upload them both to the Disco site, whew!.
At breakfast this morning we both talked about how at least the songs are out there for possible opportunities.
When we got home I saw your last e-mail. We both watched it together and high five each other after you said exactly what we talked about. So cool, I just had to tell you that story first.
Music is my ministry:
My mom tells me that her and my dad gave me my first guitar when I was four. This was after I antagonized them both banging on kitchen pots and pans. I started writing songs when I was twelve years old playing two strings on my guitar, but the songs kept coming out of me. I really only had a radio and records to listen to. But my passion for music over ran my life. I was allowed to go into the local church a few houses down the road in my very small town in the country. That’s were I taught my self to play piano. Wasn’t very good, but the songs kept coming out of me.
I was thirteen when I heard music coming from down the road, so I walked down and heard a band practicing in an opened door garage. Eventually I hung out there. This first person in my music life lost there roadie the following year to the military and asked me if I wanted to roadie. I remember being so excited that he asked. But he was twenty-eight and I was fourteen years old. We both had to ask my mom and dad if I could. Looking back now, wow, my mom and dad trusted this person to take me to bars every weekend. So I did just that. I climbed up into a pickup truck with a cap on it and loaded and unloaded band equipment for $5.00 a gig. Except, back then we played many, many, free jamborees. I loved it.
Now, the following year my friend lost their bass player from the band and asked me if I could play. Of course I said yes, so at only fifteen years old I played in that band. My second gig was a grand opening and people were falling into our drum set and falling against our microphone stands as we were pinned against the wall. My friend cut his lip from one of the crowd falling and hitting his mic stand. I think I was young and athletic enough to keep dodging side to side as the drunks kept hitting my microphone stand. Yep! After that night I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I am a fifteen years old in music heaven I thought to my self.
Well, In that band we helped so many people playing jamborees, played weddings, bars, party’s of all sorts, won band competitions, recorded an album using all my songs, signed up for You Can Be A Star and played in Nashville after winning a band competition.
I was offered a contract back then for one of the songs I wrote, but I was young and inexperienced. The contract was for a music across the country album and the contract stated they could change my lyrics anyway they wanted to. I have no experience, no one in the music business to ask, my pride said no, but my head says to this day: “What if”.
It wasn’t till later on I met my second inspiration and that was a person who is a phenomenal drummer but a great person. He has his own recording studio and that’s where I realized my creative skills. A lot of the songs I’ve recorded currently is from his creative mastering. He would play the drums on the recordings and I could play all the rest of the instruments and sing. I have learned so much about recording and mastering from him.
I also have another friend who has recently won a Grammy and continues to get more involved in the business with his studio. I want to hook up more with him soon.
I know and am in touch with many musicians in my area, which by the way is Ronnie James DIO’s home town. Yes, this is where we have DIO days concerts and even have a road named after him by his old house. So there are a lot of great talent around here.
A person in my life that is pushing me and my talents and supports me whole heartedly is Amy. She is my musical heart. Thanks to her I’m continuing this journey in music with no turning back.
Lastly, you Chris,
You are treating your students with such heartfelt wonderfulness, if that’s even a thing. But that’s how it feels. Every time you speak if feels like you care sooo much. You have made me feel so inspired about the real music business. That’s where I want to be. I want to mold my talents and create those relationships so that I could possibly have the honor of having my music and soul heard by many others.
Thank you so much for this and I hope future opportunities.
Musically yours,
Michael John Aiken
Thanks for sharing your story, Michael. Really great Amy is your musical heart and keeps you going. It was also nice to hear we were thinking the same thing around the same time. 🙂
Hi Chris-
Teamwork and mutual respect go a long way in every relationship. I learned that when I worked at Sterling Sound Mastering in New York. When I was hired as a manager, I had the privilege of working with engineers George Marino, Greg Calbi, Ted Jensen, Jose Rodriguez and Tom Coyne. Everyone worked together to deliver an excellent product. That inspired me to always live up to the same standards of professionalism. By the way, George Marino mastered many of the AC/DC albums, so it was fun for me to pitch a track for the latest supervisor request with our group!
Hey Alex, I might have run into you at some point. I was down at Sterling a few times to master some records I produced. Great to hear the AC/DC connection and George has done some amazing work!
Hey Chris,
I fully understand what you said and had the same experience in my life. My first mentor was my father, who accompanied me very smoothly to learn Accordion in the age of 5-15. After that period I learned Guitar and Drums and Played in a band, where I learned a lot about music, jams, collaborations and had my first gigs. That enabled me thereafter to play in a bigger band and I had my first gig with over 1000 people in the audience.
Then I entered my professional career as IT Expert, Developer, Project Coordinator and Principal Program Manager. Music there was a kind Relaxing, but I changed during all that time from Accordion to Keyboard and improved my Guitar Playing. And I learned a lot about managing big projects (what helped me also in music)
In 2018 I met legendary multi award-winning Al Schmitt, and Steve Genewick in a 4-days bootcamp and was sitting with them 4 days in a festival studio where we made the recordings and a lot of additional extra hours in recording details and hearing life-stories of them
This was for me the magic starting point to build my own studio, accompanied by great workshop-years with Graham Cochrane from The Recording Revolution Learning platform (where I am registered until now) and I later started as Student at HOFA Academy in Germany to learn everything about music studio work and to get my Audio Diploma in Audio Engineering & Music Production. I am not yet finished with this.
In 2019 I made an internal bet with myself, to experience if I am really keen to produce music. I bet to make a piece of music every single day in 2019. Sometimes it enden up in a ring tone or small jingle but also with some great songs, also during a serious illness in hospital, there with my iPad. In the end of 2019 I produces 380 songs. You can hear them on my Soundcloud account called MusikLogo.
Last Year I started with Martin Suttons Songwriting Academy for the reason that I am not a great lyrics and melody writer as I am producing instrumental music mainly.
And Martin sent me a mail about your Art of the Song Pitch
And last point: You asked me to find music supervisors and I feel I will connect with a music supervisor I found during research. She also provides a Master Course (about Music Supervising) where I plan to attend soon
That where more than 5 milestones but I am now 65 and you see, I will not stop developing my music skills until I die.
My wish for my life is, to produce at least one popular song and publish it successfully, that will stay longer than my life.
FULL STOP for now. I took a lot of your time to read this.
Thank you already now for that what you brought into my life so recently
Thank you for sharing, Earnie. You have hung out and learned from some excellent mentors already. Looking forward to helping you get that first song out there in a big way.
Ah -Chris – I missed one point.
Next year I really want to be one of your students who had an interview with you and tell the next students, that I placed a song in a Film or in TV-spot. Please let us already fix a date for the interview end of this year 🙂
👍
Hi Chris,
Yeah that’s right. Though I’ve met many cool people and would-bees as well (the coolest being Mavin Gaye whom I thought to use the TR808 (true)) and I’ve learned so much since then. I’ve got 50 albums out there, many of which people say "That’s movie music!" Yeah, if it was that easy.
So you are now making it (kind-of) easy for us – that is fantastic.
Looking forward to the next live session, though I’m afraid I will be a bit late…
Cheers, and I’ll catch up with you at Catalina Island, OK?
Peter.
That is very cool story about Marvin Gaye and the 808. Never know I might run into you on Catalina Island if I sail there again soon.
Great advice and great to have the opportunity (even though in this case, I couldn’t bend the envelope enough to submit something). Thanks for your inspiration and encouragement coach!
You got it, Rich!
This is so true. In the beginning of my career.. being an engineer, producer was furthest from my mind. As a teen I was in an acapella boy group.. I was more an entertainer than sound engineer, at the shows I would always go greet the sound guys and the camera crews. ..and that’s it… there was an opening at the video production house for a CG operator… and I having my passes in Graphic Art…got offered the job. All because I used to hang out with the crew.
Fast Forward 30+ years.. Engineer, Producer, Songwriter.
Nope.. Graphic artist not.. 😅long story.. but meet a lot of role models and mentors along the way which guided me to this part. Lost a lot of friends also. With great gains comes great lost.
We have a song in the caribbean we sing when we’re little. Watch your friends ..watch your friends. That you keep.
Blessings… Respect.. Salute to all. 👊🏼
Thanks for sharing, Shawn.
Hey Chris… truer words could not have been spoken in regard to mentorship. I am more of a hobbyist musician/producer now so those types of relationships are not as important to me. I hang around family mostly now… my two adult sons live with me and my beautiful canine friend, Sherman who doesn’t give me much advice other than living my life to the fullest, everyday! I thought about chasing my dream of placing my music in the sync licensing world but feel as if there is just too much competition these days. Thanks for the email and I love your boat! Paul
http://www.paulmakesmusic,com
Paul, there is only too much competition if you are competing like the rest. 😉
Great wisdom. Excellent information. What type of song were they looking for that commercial?
That ship sailed, Reg, but it was to replace Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
Hi Chris. I’ve never thought about this so specifically before, and I love that you sparked the idea. I play ~120 nights a year with my top 40 working band. Drummer & keyboard player are 20 years my senior & very seasoned pros, our bass player has his masters degree in orchestral conducing, and our sound engineer was FOH & tour manager for Bob Seger, Cheap Trick, Grand Funk Railroad etc. Everyone in the band has had a profound impact (both directly & indirectly) on my playing and professionalism as a musician, and it really is true…you are who you surround yourself with.
When I compare it to other bands I’ve been in where the members didn’t have the depth and musical scope that these guys have…..my personal growth in those bands was stagnant, or non-existent.
Thanks for the insight & thoughts!
Love hearing that, Dan. Seems to prove the idea.
WOOOOOOOOHooooooo!!! Hallelujah!!! Thank God for clarifyin what I already know!!! WOOOOOOOOHooooooo!!! This is so true MyFriend!!!
Well I should have listened to it before I made my debut on February the 4th LOL
Good to hear we’re on the same page, Missy.
Funny you should be talking about this because years ago I was very close friends with one of the biggest rock stars in the world (inner circle)I would always be at diner with top producers/record executives etc……..I would always give them a tape of my tunes…well none of them ever responded…..after 15 years of friendship and meeting record compony execs I got ghosted by this rock Star……a few years later I ran into one of his band members who I knew quite well…and he told me that many of the executives approached my rock star friend wanting to do something with me and or my songs…but wanted to clear it with him first…well…according to this band member ….he(the rock star) told them all not to do anything with me or my songs…..moral of the story….who you know can keep you from success just as much , if not more than helping you achieve success.
Hi Wayne, thanks for sharing your story, but I have never known a record company exec to be so polite. 🙂 I feel like they would have talked to you directly if they wanted to work with you. Either way, good to know that you got to mingle with that rarified company for all that time.
Years ago, I had a rare opportunity to play a recording session with the great Jamaican rhythm section Sly and Robbie. Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare were THE top drummer and bass player on the island, doing backing tracks for not only the top reggae artists of the day, but also for the likes of Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger (solo), Grace Jones. These guys would hear you demo a song once, and then proceed to play with unbelievable precision and unbeatable groove on the first or second take. Mostly on the first take. That experience was a jaw-dropper for me, who was used to doing dozens of takes of a given song and agonizing over the details of each one. I came back from that session thinking "I never want to be a lame session guy again. Ever." Just being around these guys and absorbing their sense of professionalism was a huge blessing and has shaped my attitude and work ethic ever since. Robbie has since passed away, unfortunately, but I will never forget the ease with which he and Sly nailed those tracks. Amazing!
Bingo! Sorry to hear about Robbie’s passing but you got the rare opportunity to learn something so simply yet so valuable for your musical future.
That is a really cool story, James. It sounds like we are on the same page about that.
I’ve discovered that you don’t have to have physical people around you to excel in knowledge expansion. You can surround yourself with the greats by filtering their interviews. Like right now I’m gleaning all the Hugh Padgham interviews for critical production information that he had producing Phil Collins, XTC, Genesis, the Human League, Sting, and the Police. When I listen to him I catch things that he says under his breath that when I hear it I say “Woooo, that was a information bomb”. Then I do an information lookup and confirm he was right about that. He was talking about the “Talk Back Mic” he discovered by accident that revolutionized the “Genesis Sound”. There are certain things that people and producers don’t want you to know or would need to charge you money for that took them decades to learn that they drop as little crumbs in interviews.
Kip
Agreed, Kip, but you learn so much more from them when you can hang out with them and watch what they do and ask them questions. Barring that, it is great to see you are going that road.
That is certainly a good thing to do and yes, you can learn a lot. It would be better though if you could watch them doing it right in front of your eyes, ask them specific questions about it, and have them make comment on your production. That only comes from relationships. Great start though!
Yea Chris, on my life journey, this happened, when I entered a studio in Brisbane, called Excalibur Productions, when I was just starting to learn how to record Songs. Happened to be Oliver Jones and Hayden Bell with high credits as EMI song writers at the time ..Oliver introduced me to /Savage Garden / The famous Duo always in the evenings when I was recording my 4 hrs sessions in the evenings, Savage Garden Danial Jones and His Producer ,Big brother Oliver was there and gave me alot to learn about, in recording and Music Production and song writing…it cost me in 19 95 ..50 dollars per hrs…to record, but if I didn’t do that during these times I would off been missing the boat even more behind.. regards
Yup! For sure, Carlos. Great to hear.
Amazing!
It’s interesting. I’ve always enjoyed freestyle rapping and singing classic rock tunes. And took screenwriting really seriously for a while. Writing everyday no matter what and thesaurus searching for the right words. I eventually was just kind of thrust in to songwriting. My music would play me instrumentals and like what I came up with. I would never push an agenda as a writer during those collaborations. Just always searching for that feeling, and meaning within the work, to convey the words that helps make it undeniable. And it didn’t have to be me. Always about genuinely attempting to make the song sound better and getting better with each session. And now like, it’s kinda crazy, I never would’ve thought I’d have a song that I wrote with John Williams piano player. Yet, opportunities keep happening.
Couldn’t figure out how to edit it after posting. My bad
That’s alright. Thanks for posting.
No worries.
Nice!
I have not had a music mentor in my life. Even though my mother played the piano and sang, I never really felt supported in my music. Neither do I have 5 people that support my music now. I think a lot of that is I’m a loner, I have chronic pain which limits my social life and it takes a long time to find compatible people. I have found my engineer, and I know a lot of talented people who have helped me on previous productions. Unfortunately, I have a limited income so I can’t produce as much as I have to produce. I am struggling with my recording at home, but I’m still working on it. I think you and your team, Michael Elsner, and a couple of the music supes are/will be my support system. I can’t thank you enough!
Sorry to hear about your challenges, Einen. I would encourage you to reach out to others when you can. The people you seek may be just around the corner.
Sorry to hear about your challenges, Einen. Hopefully you find some peers to share your music interests with. They are easier to meet than you might think.
Really good short and insightful talk, thanks. Yes, I definitely benefitted in key situations and times of my development as musician by connecting with more experienced people in the area or genre I want to be successful and creative in…still applies…and as you say, it has nothing to do with elitism, just self worth, and I am loyal to my friends anyway…
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There was a recently published study led by an Italian scholar from the University of Trento that explored how social interactions shape the composition of our personal microbiomes. That was the first thing that came to mind after watching your video. The second was my distaste for the great US American meme of the rugged individualist pulling him/herself up from their very own bootstraps to achieve X. BS, I say.
There are so few things I have ever learned completely on my own – well, aside from some things like it’s a really dumb idea to push the blade of a Swiss army knife into a live electrical outlet. That was surprising. And somewhat painful.
Carl Sagan once wrote that the way to the future is through the corpus callosum. I don’t think we can cross that bridge to the future without challenging ourselves with others – others who are better thinkers than we, better writers, better musicians, better listeners…
A grammarian commented that language is one anecdote built upon another. So are we. And, so, I reckon, your average of 5 fits well with that view. There are 4 other people in my band. They all know far more about music than I. Without them, my songs would just be diary entries instead of possible sparks of potential. I’m on a call every month or so with some musicians from AOTSP / SYNC Club. Thank you and your team (of 5?) for bringing me these opportunities to improve my work.
Great to hear, Thornton. It sounds like you are on the right path!
Great to hear, Thornton! Meme aside, it sounds like you are not too far off from being a rugged individual when you say you can’t cross that bridge without challenging yourself with others. Good to hear you are being so proactive.
As a 20 year old attending College, I completely changed my trajectory and moved to Oxford, MS from Baton Rouge, LA. When a very close friend and drummer I had been playing experimental avante garde improv with over the years told me his brother’s band, the neckbones had just signed a record deal with Fat Possum Records, as their 1st ever Rock act, I decided if I really wanted to do something in music, being close to that group of friends was the best chance i had to ever making that happen. So I moved 6 hours up the road just 45 minutes Southeast of Memphis.. to Oxford, MS. (Bob Dylan ) wrote a song the place. It was that decision that gave me some of the best life experiences ever. I ended up working for Fat Possum, as a Talent Babysitter and taxi, getting to ferry legends like R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough to the airport in my ‘83 suburban I bought the day i moved up there to serve as a tour vehicle. Also got to see how the label worked on the inside, help with marketing stuffing mailers, Tour manage that same Rock act who signed with the label that brought me to oxford, they ended up my roommates.. Ended up working with Bruce Watson (Producer of the Living Blues Magazine) in his studio Co- Producing our band’s album.. access no one but fat possum artists had. Got to share a stage with Jim Dickenson and his sons.. and meet a ton of insiders in Memphis, Bobby Whitlock of Dereck and the Dominoes and I are still friends .. this was the mid 90’s The Silver Jews had just recorded Starlight Walker in Memphis, Sonic Youth and Pavement, Wowee Zowee, also recorded there.. it’s the reason Bob Nastanovich and I are friends.. that might not mean much to anyone else but means a lot to me. I was a huge Jews and pavement fan. Played a show with the Grifters at the Antennae Club, Almost made the set as an extra in the people vs Larry Flynt, it was all so surreal and serendipitous as Indie rock was approaching it’s pinnacle, for the next 5 years. Had I stayed there and kept working with fat possum who know what could have or would have ever happened .. since then Ive still been involved in a few things.. that included touring nationally, almost getting to open on a tour with the Jews.. getting to open for Dan Bejar of the new pornographers and his band Destroyer on a West Coast tour, playing the Crocodile in Seattle, Spaceland in LA. as his critically acclaimed album Rubies came out.
Absolute truth spoken in this video.
Had I not made that move at 20 and surrounded myself with people who were having success, none of that would have happened.. am I famous or a millionaire or supporting myself with my music now? No, but I didnt try doing that until coming back to it after a pause.. i was always a contributing songwriter to whatever band i was in but never approached music as a principal writer producer performer mixing mastering engineer until 6 or 7 years ago. I supporting cast back then, prepping myself to play lead.. and here I am.. looking for another life changing experience like the one that started this very long post..(i do ramble, thanks for making it here)
CA
Love your story! The money comes after the relationships and it sounds like you really understood what was important about all of that.
Crazy cool story, Corey. No rambling at all, loved it. 🙂
So glad you added that you don’t ditch your other friends. Too often I hear people say this in a way that sounds like you’re meant to upgrade your friendship group. I love having long-term friends, some in music, some not. You never know when you’ll need to lean on each other in life. (Like Bill Wither’s song )
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Yes, I think this is key, Catrina.
Awesome! And truth! Thanks.
Cool!
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I started my career in the music industry back in 2001. I never expected that for me. My friend was teacher at music school and he introduced me to one of his student who was great singer, and she introduced me to her
friend who was also great singersongwriter and assistant producer. We became good friends sharing demos to each other. I never had a vision working in the industry but when he was hired as vocal producer for the artist who became No.1 hit, he called me to assist his job, he needed someone he can communicate well. Suddenly the most famous artist and the producer I was watching on TV at home was right in front of me at huge studio in Sony and I became part of the team. Since then so many incredible things are happening beyond my imagination. Your video just reminded me of building genuine friendship without any expectation brought me such a blessing. Thank you!!!
Amazing, Haruko! Keep going.
Thanks for sharing, Haruko. Cool story!
Very true, Chris – I so have seen this with my life! My dad (a virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, yet largely unsung, musician and fine artist) used to say something similar. Because I hang with ‘superior’ people, I have been part of a Grammy-nominated album in the 65th Grammys (lost to another group of friends at the awards ceremony today). And one my collaborators just picked up his third Grammy today, among many other friends and peers who I hang with that were nominated and also won today their first or second Grammys. Because I like to be the best, I invest ‘everything’ into this crazy, beautiful, wonderful thing called music and hang with music creators of the highest class and also keep around the music lovers who appreciate music.
Hi Ban, I wouldn’t say anyone is superior than anyone else, just ahead in the particular game you are looking at. I believe anyone can get there and I think you know that by putting the word in quotes, and thank you for sharing your beautiful journey.
what you sead was true it’s important to surround your self oportunitys
Glad we see eye to eye on that, Rudolph.
Thankyou for drawing our attention to this Chris… relationships are so important in what could easily be a lonesome venture. I have my 2 producer sons to thank for encouragement, tips and extra pairs of ears, as well as my bro and half a dozen girl mates. Then there are the awesome musicians I have had the pleasure of collaborating with, including my husband. Quite a family affair! Of which I’m SO appreciative. Thankyou for reminding me of my luck.
Great to hear you have that kind of support, Jaquelina. That is so critical.
Interesting subject for sure. I’ve never thought of people around me in that way before. I’ve had many mentors influence my music and my life, from the musicians I played with in my Celtic circle back in my teen & young adult years, to the agent who represented me when I first came to Nashville. Grade school music teachers, vocal coaches, there’s been a lot of folks through my door. I still keep in touch with all of them – some play on my recordings with me and some just hang out and jam. I would say, however, that the five closest to me are family members. They are all somewhat successful in their chosen careers – mostly artists of the non-music variety. They are supportive, but I can’t say my inner circle has anything to do with music. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had more success in the field. Curious to see what you do with this feedback 🙂 I’m very glad to get to know you, Julie, Sarah & Danielle. It’s been a pleasure.
Hard to say, JoAnne. Maybe it’s time to try to get to know more people who are in a place you hope to be.
Thanks Chris. I work with some extremely talented individuals who I get to call my friends and family first and foremost. We’ve all been around the block many times – tours, recordings, brushes with fame, etc – and we are all still in the game because it’s part of our DNA. That said, good relationships are sometimes more important than individual talent. At this point, I would rather work with someone who I enjoy being around as opposed to how great they are as a player. Of course, the people I work with are musically amazing, but it’s the friendship that makes the better collective.
Also, as songwriters, we have something that a lot of great players always need – SONGS. If the players dig your songs, that’s what you have to offer.
Yes, I would say you need both with songs being of course the most important.
I’ve been lucky enough to have some great friends and a family I love very much. This ofcourse means I should never feel alone. However, when I look into a mirror I don’t see a robot there. And that human, when things (especially in the Music field) don’t turn out well, can still feel "left out" and alone. When that happens I very well might stop and take another look at the 1st sentence in this paragraph.
Haha, well said, Barney.
I never looked at it like that definitely an eye-opener.
Great to hear, William!
Thanks for your insight, Chris! I was first encouraged by creative friends-film producer, graphics designer and kids’ educator to "put my toe in the water" to create my first music project. My Kids’ album, " Everybody’s Got a Place" won a Parent’s Choice, a MD State Arts Council Cash prize and good touring success-Northern, VA to NE PA.
But, I told myself it was "only kids’ music!" So, I again said to myself," If this is all I can do, it’s not really music!" I dropped out of my parttime music ventures, and focused on my executive-level healthcare career.
But, I didn’t let go. I continued thinking about writing. It was when I enrolled in a Paul Reisler week-long music camp, that I wrote different genres, folk and country. The class was so supportive. These tunes resulted in winning prizes in a Billboard International contest. I found that I could leverage my songs through good press. I got great local coverage, using the award strategy to open doors.
Again, I stopped the music. I realized I’m not a music performer -yet another excuse!
In 2015 I wrote a few instrumental jazz and classical compositions, which were performed in popular music venues in Baltimore. I was encouraged. I met what became a great team in Nashville, writing across genres: pop, country, americana, jazz, instrumental. I’ve had a few songs "taken", but not placed.
Finally, to the present, I really believe that this course is exactly what I’ve been missing. I’m encouraged! I hope to get my music placed!
Thank you Chris and new musical friends for being here!
So finally
Thanks for the kind words. Ultimately your passion for music has kept you going. Your persistence and hard work have paid off with recognition you have gotten. Keep pushing forward and stay encouraged, best of luck in getting your music placed!
All the people i hung around with at that early point in my music journey all ripped me off or where pretty much out for themselves unfortunately but i think its a valuable insight and a learning curve so in the long run it has hopefully made me wiser. Cheers Chris.
So sorry to hear that, Ray. Know that there are good people in the music industry. The trick is when you find one, get to know their friends too. They are usually good people too.
I agree with this. I would like to work with some successful musicians who are great friends. Unfortunately I am kind of a recluse, and spend a lot of time by myself, practicing guitar, wood-shedding and writing music. I am in Maine, and big producers, famous artists are really almost nowhere to be found. I lived in LA, California for over 5 years, as well as Boston, MA and NYC, but now I am back in Maine. I thought moving to those music centers would magically instantly make me wealthy and successful, but I found it isn’t like that. More like you are lost in a sea of other people trying to do the same thing. I am frustrated with the music industry. It seems like it is pretty much all about who you know (and how well), or how much $ you have to put in to buy a music career. I still plug along because I love music. I hope I can find the right group of friends, and that we can propel each other to success!
adamgilchrestmusic.com
Hi Adam,
It unfortunately is a lot about who you know in the sync industry. That is why we have the success we do, it’s through relationships. Great to hear you are trying to increase your circle though.
Hey Chris,
I think that video touched on a lot more than a musical career… there are some intangibles about character development as well as just being a all-around genuine person. I agree that with the message you putting down kat-daddy. lol Great content!
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Thank you for the post, I totally agree. I not only think it is who you are around but where you are around as well. It seems like each time I am in LA to record or mix, and I am in the studio, I am learning so much and meeting people unexpectedly. Then when I come back home to my small town, things slow down. Not as many studios or producers to collaborate with to learn and grow.
Glad you agree, Gabriel!
It’s about being in the vibrational frequency of people who are doing what you wish to do…when you’re around high vibe folks, you level up!