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| MUSIC SPECIALIST |
I have seen the globular turning of the music industry just in the years of my life.
An industry that started out as a person to person business became totally directed and controlled by corporations and now is returning to its basic core.
The concept of stealing music has been reduced to a shadow of what it has been. The education done within the industry is now creating strong male & female entertainment entrepreneurs’ world wide. And it hasn’t been done without a steep price.
The neighborhood record store was a weekend meeting place for all types of members of the local community. As youngsters we would grab our hard earned allowances on Saturday afternoon, run to the record shop and take hours deciding exactly what one or two records we would eventually buy. We talked with the people behind the counter about our musical idols and were told about all the new music that was available. Four or Five of us would cram into a listening booth just to hear the recordings made on 78 and 45 RPM vinyl records dreaming of being on stage but knowing we could only afford a few moments of hearing the sounds we loved. Buying chart position for “marginal” songs plus the advent of Sound Scan and the collection of independent store catalog purchases lead directly to the demise of the independent store.
Growing into my teens in Chicago I was able to see “live” stage shows on the weekend albeit from the balcony of the movie theatre, but none the less I was there. I vividly remember the majestic halls of the Tivoli Theatre & The Regal where I saw the Motortown Revue featuring Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Barrett Strong, and The Contours as headlining acts, and up and coming acts Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips and The Temptations. I saw Pigment Markum, Mom’s Mabley, The Drifters, Wilson Pickett and Rufus Thomas performing songs and sketches that are now historical.
In addition to a steady fare of motion pictures, the theater's managers entertained patrons with both a regular house orchestra and a top-flight stage orchestra Patrons were expected to be polite, well-mannered, tidily groomed, and non-disruptive at all times and theatre ushers were almost paramilitary in their uniforms.
Every act had a performance they practiced and hone until the presentation was exciting and invoked emotion within the audience. The acts related to the local radio stations on a person to person basis, where local DJ’s became concert promoters and in town marketing people while the acts would become involved with local community projects (Boys & Girls Club, Voter Registration Drives, etc...). Money from the acts music and performances was spent within the local community where they performed devising a Person to person, friend to friend, win / win situation.
The Corporate Media Management System (CMMS) was designed to financially enslave entire nations by siphoning income to only a few. Understand that 400 families own more land, money and income than half (1/2) of the world’s population combined income.
The corporations began, creating homogeneous music, the scientifically “correct” way to market & promote, cost effective sound identical radio stations & stores. They then fed (via their media outlets) an unsuspecting public into believing that this was the right and only way to pursue business. The concept of Major Label talent, publishing, media studios, media outlets, hardware manufactories, delivery systems, collection systems, investment portfolios and banks is now a corporate owned reality.
Greed, dishonesty, lying, cheating and stealing became a part of how to do business within the entertainment industry. Like it or not people around the world believe that being successful in our industry is based on how much I can bet you out. How many times have you heard IT’S ONLY BUSINESS. A vast majority of industry people still feel that using the CMMS strategy will get them fame, fortune and recognition within the major label dream. Some people hold on to dreams like pack rats, instead of seeing a change, understanding a change and making a change.
Today technology has made it much easier to do person to person business once again. If you start looking you will find more and more like minds online. The original model of truth, mutual respect and Basic business dealings has returned. Today’s artist must not only have a great song, but also a great performance and a fantastic team working with them. Teams and families are coming together, collaborating for increased visibility and revenue.
Here’s a thought, the FANS like your music, attend your shows, view your videos and buy your merchandise. Why not spend your time building your personal fan-base and not trying to impress labels, promoters, DJ’s, investors and others into doing Business as usual.
First & Foremost you must have music that your fans want to hear. It is extremely easy to get your music into an MP3 format and online at a few digital download sites. But placing your music onto Tune Core, CD Baby or a host of others does not mean you will have any sales at all. Reaching the consumer is your job not iTunes, Amazon or any other digital distributors. In today’s world your music, images, press releases and information is considered content for sharing which will allow you to have it hosted, stored, tagged, cataloged, and easy to share with fans. Online performances and events are becoming common place with direct communication between the artists and viewers.
Are you still using an old business strategy for a new business model?