The thing we like most about the music industry is also the thing that is most confusing and frustrating. It just doesnt work like every other job in the country. When you make a living as a professional songwriter, producer, musician, rapper or singer, you dont work 9-5, you dont have a boss and a desk and all of those normal job things. Thats what we like about it.

But the music industry is a business and a lot of money flows through the companies that promote, produce and market the music you make. The process of getting the money you deserve works much differently in the music industry than it does in corporate America.

To be considered full time at your art and craft of being a songwriter, producer, musician, rapper or singer, you have to get paid. Being an artist doesnt exempt you from the rules we all live by. You have to eat, live somewhere and pay the rent as they say. And you dont want to just get by. Ideally your music will become recognized and well liked and you will become one of those filthy rich rock, pop or rap stars you see on VH1, MTV or BET. But to do that you have to master one basic idea. You have to figure out how to get paid.

This article will give you the basics. We will go over some of the unique terminology that pertains to how money is collected and paid out to artists in the music business as well as discuss some of the organizational systems that you must understand to be able to make a buck in this business.

Strange New World

The terminology or the words we use to refer to the payments systems in the music industry are much different from in a normal job. You dont just report to payroll for your regular paycheck every other week. So our first order of business is to define and understand a couple of terms and the systems they represent. The two terms you should get to know the best are recoupment and royalties.

You Mean Its Not a Gift?

Recoupment may seem like a sweet deal up front. Recoupment is essentially a loan from the record company to fund the expenses of your recording work. The record company has signed you and now the work of producing the CD is ahead of you. In order to allow you to focus all of your energies and time on making the record for them, the record company will advance you a lump sum of money to handle both your living expenses and the expenses of the recording. This is to go for:

* The gear and equipment you will need to produce the recording.

* Living expenses and incidentals during the recording process

* Touring expenses

If you receive recoupment money for recording your CD, immediately discuss with your band or other key people in your camp two important concepts and enforce them religiously.

1. Keep track of what you spend and use the money wisely. You could blow through your recoupment money very easily and suddenly realize you have no more expense money and the recording or touring is not done. You dont want to face that. Pick the most trustworthy, numbers aware person in your band or entourage and make him the budget wizard for the entire process and obey him like he was your master. You will be happy you did.

2. It isnt your money! Remember, recoupment money is a loan. It is an advance against the profit the record company will make from your work. The record company must recoup the funds from sales and if they do not, they loose money and you could be dropped.

So be careful in how you negotiate and use your recoupment funds. Recoupment is a wonderful system to give you the freedom to produce a quality recording. But beware that there are hidden costs and demands that come with a recoupment. Dont let them take you by surprise.

A Royalty That Does Not Refer To Princess Di.

The term royalty when it pertains to the music business is somewhat more familiar. The simplest definition is that a royalty is a percentage of the sale of a song or CD that is paid to the artist, the composer and other participants in the process. Royalties are used in many creative industries including publishing, television and movies as well so most people are aware of the idea.

But you might wonder who handles the collection and distribution of royalties? As a rule, the publishing company takes on this job. They have the accounting departments and the organization to handle this on-going duty. That helps you out a lot. Oh, they take their cut too but for the most part, if they treat you honestly, it is worth letting them participate for the hassle they save you in managing these details. There are four kinds of royalties to discuss before we are done with this topic and those are…

* Mechanical Royalties

The cut you get when another artist records or covers your song to release on their CD. You receive a royalty for the sales of that CD as the author and copy right owner of the song. This type of royalty applies whether you write a song that the artist releases initially or if the artist is covering a song you have already released.

* Synchronization Royalties

You receive these payments when your song is used in a movie, a TV show or a video. These are negotiated on a royalty-by-royalty basis so make sure your agent is experienced in this kind of contract. If your song becomes the theme some for a popular Sitcom, it could be a huge windfall for you if the synchronization royalties are negotiated correctly.

* Print Royalties

As the title implies, print royalties are what you receive when sheet music of your song is sold. Print royalties can run in the 10-15% range so they are worth securing and protecting.

* Performance Royalties

Royalties are due to you every time your song is played on the radio or performed. Performance royalties, as you might expect are very complicated to track and collect so you will come to rely on a type of service organization known as a PRO.

A PRO is not a Terrorist Organization.

PRO stands for Performing Rights Organizations and they are the good guys because they help you get paid the performance royalties you deserve for your material. These organizations work on behalf of song authors and publishes to collect performance royalties on any possible venue including:

* Radio
* Television
* Movies and even
* The Internet

Now you may think every time you hear your song on the radio, you immediately earned a small royalty but it doesnt work exactly that way. Instead, radio or other broadcast media including internet pay services pay a single flat license fee to broadcast from a catalog of songs represented by the PRO. The PRO then establishes a song frequency percentage based on samplings of air play to determine how much your cut of each radio station license fee might be and from that they pay your performance royalties.

To learn more about the major Performance Rights Organizations, here are the big three and how to research or contact them…

1. BMI
20 W. 57TH ST.,
NEW YORK, NY 10019 USA
Tel 212-586-2000

2. SESAC
SESAC (headquarters)
55 Music Square East
Nashville, TN 37203
615-320-0055
Fax 615-329-9627

3. ASCAP
One Lincoln Plaza
New York, NY 10023
Tel: (212) 621-6000
Fax: (212) 724-9064

Conclusion

There is a lot to learn about how you will be paid for your artistic work in the music industry. But its a worthwhile investment to understand the system as much as possible because in doing so, you increase the amount of money you will see come to you for your songs and performances.

In this article, we have given you an overview, some definitions and introduced you to a few organizations that are central to making the music industry payment system fair and workable, to find even more as well as thousands of other essential music business contacts visit http://www.MusicBizPhoneBook.com

Dont stop with this introduction though. Work with your management and become industry savvy about royalties, contracts, recoupment and all the inner workings of the money side of the music business. Your homework will pay off and lead to a long and prosperous career as a performer in the exciting world of the music industry.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I wish you Much Success!

This article was written by Ty Cohen, the music industry’s most recognizable voice!
Ty is the C.E.O of Platinum Millennium Publishing and Platinum Millennium Records as well as owner of http://www.MusicContractsOnline.comand http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.com

To find out more about Ty Cohen, his services, products and how he may be able to help you succeed in the music industry go to http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.comand sign up for his free limited edition music industry success 10-part “Mini-Course”, it will work wonders for you and best of all, it’s FREE, but EXTREMELY VALUABLE!

Artist: Ray Charles
Title: More Music From Ray
Format: CD/DVD
Genre: Soul- Jazz.-Pop- R & B-Blues
Label: Rhino Records-http://www.rhino.com
Website: http://www.raycharles.com

I suppose that I am like many others, I have discovered the music of Ray Charles after his death. It is most unfortunate, but as they say-better late than never. I knew he was an ever present force in music forever but never sought out his music for some reason. The one thing that I have learned during my short exposure to this mans great music is one fact; he could take any song and make it his own. His versatility and style was one of a kind. There is no doubt that a musical genius like Charles will never come our way again.

More Music From Ray is the second volume of Charles classics from the movie soundtrack Ray. This CD has an accompanying DVD with three tracks pulled from the recent O-Genio DVD that covers a live performance in Brazil from 1963. The CD is jam packed with vintage Charles music, 17 tracks of jazz, blues and pop brilliance that remind you of this legendary performers incredible magnetism and professional polish. Each track is Ray at the peak of his powers with his voice and musicianship.

Its real tough picking favorites on this CD, I truly loved every cut. When push comes to shove, I would say that Lonely Avenue, Baby, Its Cold Outside and Makin Whoopee are my favorites. The only other thing I can addthis is wonderful timeless music that really needs no introduction, its Ray Charles, and I rest my case.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-http://www.muzikreviews.com

February 12, 2005

Rating-10/10

01. Leave My Woman Alone (2:42)
02. Lonely Avenue (2:35)
03. Rockhouse, Pts. 1-2 (3:56)
04. I Believe to My Soul (3:03)
05. Losing Hand (3:14)
06. I’m Movin’ On (2:22)
07. But On the Other Hand Baby (3:15)
08. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (4:10)
09. The Danger Zone (2:25)
10. Busted Howard (2:09)
11. Makin’ Whoopee (6:16)
12. Let’s Go Get Stoned (3:01)
13. Drifting Blues (6:26)
14. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (2:40)
15. Drown in My Own Tears/You Don’t Know Me (3:03)
16. Every Day I Have the Blues ( 3:31)
17. America the Beautiful ( 3:35)

DVD
18. Don’t Set Me Free [multimedia track]
19. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny [multimedia track]
20. -GENIO Trailer [multimedia track]

Prior to joining Vivaton Records, Amy practiced entertainment law solo and as an associate of Gladstone, Doherty & Associates for a combined total of seven years. During that time, she concentrated her practice in the areas of business formation and transactions, copyright and trademark law as well as the drafting and reviewing of all types of entertainment contracts from songwriting agreements to recording agreements and the like. She also served as general counsel for Kid Pan Alley a charity organization which concentrates its efforts on raising money for local schools through involving children in the songwriting process. Prior to establishing her law practice, Amy interned in the legal and business affairs department of both Warner/Chappell and Rhino Records in Los Angeles where she specialized in publishing and copyright issues as well as in all areas of music licensing.

Many independent and unsigned artists dont understand how involved things like record contracts and licensing can be, so were very happy that Amy will be at Indie Music Week discussing these issues, says Indie Music Week President Jonell Polansky.

Other confirmed panelists include representatives from Universal South, Lyric Street Records, Sony Music, Broken Bow Records, and BMI.

In addition to the industry panels, Indie Music Week will also feature two Artist Showcases to be held at Nashvilles famous Douglas Corner Caf.

To attend Indie Music Week 2005, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org for registration information. The registration fee for Indie Music Week is $99, with 50% fee discounts for music industry students or artists that showcase. To be an Indie Music Week sponsor, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org or call 615-292-1337.

What a wonderful age this is. Today you can listen to music online from around the world. Music online is available from every country on the planet. You can listen right in your own home to real time news and music from anywhere, any language and any culture.

New technologies are emerging that make it easy to listen to music online. What is completely new is the handling of the Internet radio stations according to the so called Drag & Drop principle; the user selects the radio stations from a list with the mouse and enables them by dragging and dropping them to the recording window. New is also the advanced adding procedure for more Internet radio stations. The way of creating and selecting your own favorites was also extended.

Switching the stations while listening until the new station can be heard was also reduced to some fractions of seconds only. Another new function is the selective saving function of favorite artists through improved filtering options. Instead of 19, Radiotracker now categorizes 8,000 radio stations to 77 music genres.

http://www.a1-listen-to-music-4u.info/listenonline.html

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORKwilliam fisherYOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

By William Fisher

Its truly comforting to know that, even in the grip of post-9/11 paranoia, the
G-men of the FBI are still using their resources efficiently.

If you have any doubts, just ask Steve Kurtz. He is living proof that your tax dollars are hard at work.

A year ago this month, Steves wife, Hope, died of a heart attack in Buffalo, New York. Steve called 911. Police and emergency medical services responded.

What the police saw when they got to the Kurtz home, aside from Mrs. Kurtzs body and a distraught husband, were vials, bacterial cultures, and an assortment of laboratory equipment, including a mobile DNA extracting machine used for testing food products for genetic contamination.

Kurtz, an art professor at the University of Buffalo, explained to the police that these were some of the materials for an art exhibit he and his wife had been preparing on genetic modification. The Kurtzes were founders of an avant garde group called The Critical Art Ensemble, a collective of “tactical media” protest and performance artists.

Kurtz told the cops his art has focused on the problems of the emergence of
biotechnology, such as genetically modified food. He and the art ensemble have published several books including “Digital Resistance: Explorations in Tactical Media” and “Electronic Civil Disobedience and Other Unpopular Ideas.”

The police didnt buy his story. They called the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Before long, a team arrived from Quantico, Virginia, in full HAZMAT gear, and began searching and testing. Erie County health officials declared the Kurtz home a potential health risk and sealed it for two days while a state lab examined the bacterial cultures found inside. They confiscated Mrs. Kurtzs body, and Steve’s computer, notebooks, art supplies and cat. They cordoned off the street, quarantined the Kurtz home, and took Steve to a hotel, where the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force questioned him for two days.

Meanwhile, the special agent in charge of the Buffalo FBI office gave interviews to the press.

Officials declined to disclose what was examined and what was found. But the New York State Commissioner of Public Health tested samples from the home and announced there was no public safety threat. The FBI’s own field and lab tests showed that the materials in Steve’s house were not used for any illegal purpose. They concluded that the materials could not possibly be used for the manufacture of a ‘bio-weapon’ or any other weapon.

Steve was released and allowed to go home.

But your tax-dollars-at-work didnt stop there. Federal authorities obviously thought there must be something illegal in the Kurtz home, because prosecutors subsequently convened a grand jury, with Kurtz as its target. But instead of charging him with bioterrorism, he was indicted for mail and wire fraud, charges normally used against those defrauding others of money or property, as in telemarketing schemes.

Also indicted was Robert Ferrell, head of the Department of Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, who helped Kurtz obtain the $256 worth of harmless bacteria for one of his art projects.

Now, the FBI is once again seeking charges under the US Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, as expanded by the USA PATRIOT Act - charges which a previous grand jury appeared to reject last summer when they handed down indictments for mail and wire fraud. There has been no decision from the grand jury as yet.

Kurtzs lawyer has moved to have all charges dismissed, and no trial date has yet been set.

But, while Kurtz and Ferrell await trial and try to raise money for their legal defense fund — FBI agents have been using your tax dollars to talk with everyone ever connected with Kurtz — museum curators in Massachusetts and the state of Washington, colleagues in New York and California, current students at Buffalo maybe even the cat.

The Justice Department will not comment on the case. Supporters say the government is trying to make their own initial overreaction to the confused call for help from the first responders seem anything but foolish overkill.

Now, Ive never seen any of the Kurtz art. I might hate it. But its a stretch to think I would end up being poisoned by it.

Feel better now?

William Fisher is a correspondent for InterPress News Service. He has managed economic development programs in the Middle East and elsewhere for USAID and the US State Department, and served in the Kennedy Administration.

In the last few years, however, a new dimension to learning music has appeared in the form of the internet the world wide web. Now instead of being limited to classroom courses, students are free to create their own schedules and learn at their own pace. A quick search on Google or Yahoo will turn up online courses in:

-Chord Piano

-Classical Piano For Beginners

-Improvising on the Piano & Guitar

-Rock Guitar

-Praise & Worship Guitar

-Killer Drum Instuctions

-Black Gospel Piano

-Jazz Piano

and many many more

Music courses offered by colleges are generally far more in-depth than other music courses and are usually only available to degree-seeking students (though some colleges offer music courses as part of their continuing education programs). Lower level college music courses often focus on an amalgamation of music theory and history, teaching individual theory concepts based on the historical period to which they are particular. As the music courses grow in skill level so too does the number of specialized topics. Advanced music courses are available for nearly every historical music period and are sometimes based on one particular movement. Advanced music courses for theory grow increasingly more difficult and slowly teach every detail found in modern music theory; it’s during the theory music courses that students intending to major in music have their skills challenged the most — some even refer to these music courses as a weeding out period.

Instrument-based music courses are equally as tough at the college level, though they usually assume a working knowledge of the instrument before the class begins. Those wishing to learn an instrument, therefore, are better off with private music courses or music courses offered by a community orchestra or social group. These music courses will focus on the basic details of learning an instrument, starting from the very beginning. Fingering, theory and music reading will be covered, in addition to the occasional bit of history. Students of these music courses may then wish to move on to college-level music courses after completing a few years of private instruction.

But for those more interested in recreational music in other words, music that is played for personal enjoyment or to entertain family and friends, college music classes are not at all necessary. The internet abounds with wonderful courses that will help you do everything from play at your church to accompany your child on their flute or trombone, or even play in a jazz or rock or fusion or country group.

About the author:
Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials for adults. He is the editor of the review site http://www.music-guitar-piano-portal.com/He is also the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” at http://www.playpiano.com/with over 60,100 current subscribers.

Millions of songs are now available–for free or for sale, legally and illegally over the Internet. The emergence of this audio landscape has delighted music fans, but has undermined the business model of the music industry. Major record labels are squeezing less profit out of fewer artists and attempting to ward off losses by a frenzy of mergers.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, as of the end of 2004, four corporations–EMI Records, Vivendi Universal, Warner, and Sony BMG–controlled 80 percent of the shrinking $32 billion global music market.

Even as the music industry has consolidated, CD sales have steadily declined since consumers have become increasingly reluctant to pay $17.99 for a CD, often to get only one or two good songs. “There is a major disconnect between the music industry and the reality of the way most Americans relate to music,” said Michael Bracy, a lobbyist for the Future of Music Coalition. “There is an effort to commodify music which is fundamentally impossible to do.”

Although strongly opposed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), music downloading has become a way of life for most music lovers, worldwide. As Janis Ian, a musician entering her fourth decade of recording, recently said in a radio interview, “The Internet and downloading are here to stay . . . Anyone who thinks otherwise should prepare themselves to end up on the slagheap of history.”

Why, in fact, do people download music from the Internet? Primarily to hear NEW music, or to listen to records that have been deleted by the major record companies and are no longer available for purchase. The goal of listeners is not simply to avoid the $5 bargain CD bin at the local record shop, but to hear music they can’t find anywhere else.

Musicians and distributors are tapping into the consumer anger to rewrite the rules of the music industry amid financial turmoil. GarageBand.com is one example. Once just a community of online musicians, it is now becoming the Internet’s answer to a record label as well, one that leaves much of the power–and the selection process–in the hands of musicians.

So far, the digital music movement has been a double-edged sword for artists. Newcomers and struggling musicians find the Internet to be a revolutionary way to produce and distribute their own music, bypassing the major record labels. The Internet can provide what every musician needs to be successful–exposure. Without exposure, no one buys the CDs, attends the concerts or purchases the T-shirts, ball caps, beer mugs and posters sold by the artists.

On the other hand, some artists have reacted negatively to online music, fearing a drastic reduction in the royalty payments from CD sales and losses of other revenue.

Whether you support the idea of music downloading or not, there is no turning back. As of the end of 2004, 200 million songs were downloaded that year–a tenfold increase from the previous year. And the courts have ruled that file sharing software is NOT illegal, in and of itself.

While the major legitimate online music services like iTunes Music Store, EMusic, and Napster 2.0, with deals from major record labels, carry between 700,000 and 1 million songs, Internet upstarts like GarageBand.com already claim an expanding library of 1.8 million songs available for free.

Whether you use a subscription site and buy your tunes, or search out free music on the Web, there is no doubt that the entire music world has been radically changed by the Internet and the advent of digital music.

So get online, download your favorite tunes, turn up the volume, and “let the good times roll.”

Millions of songs are now available–for free or for sale, legally and illegally over the Internet. The emergence of this audio landscape has delighted music fans, but has undermined the business model of the music industry. Major record labels are squeezing less profit out of fewer artists and attempting to ward off losses by a frenzy of mergers.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, as of the end of 2004, four corporations–EMI Records, Vivendi Universal, Warner, and Sony BMG–controlled 80 percent of the shrinking $32 billion global music market.

Even as the music industry has consolidated, CD sales have steadily declined since consumers have become increasingly reluctant to pay $17.99 for a CD, often to get only one or two good songs. “There is a major disconnect between the music industry and the reality of the way most Americans relate to music,” said Michael Bracy, a lobbyist for the Future of Music Coalition. “There is an effort to commodify music which is fundamentally impossible to do.”

Although strongly opposed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), music downloading has become a way of life for most music lovers, worldwide. As Janis Ian, a musician entering her fourth decade of recording, recently said in a radio interview, “The Internet and downloading are here to stay . . . Anyone who thinks otherwise should prepare themselves to end up on the slagheap of history.”

Why, in fact, do people download music from the Internet? Primarily to hear NEW music, or to listen to records that have been deleted by the major record companies and are no longer available for purchase. The goal of listeners is not simply to avoid the $5 bargain CD bin at the local record shop, but to hear music they can’t find anywhere else.

Musicians and distributors are tapping into the consumer anger to rewrite the rules of the music industry amid financial turmoil. GarageBand.com is one example. Once just a community of online musicians, it is now becoming the Internet’s answer to a record label as well, one that leaves much of the power–and the selection process–in the hands of musicians.

So far, the digital music movement has been a double-edged sword for artists. Newcomers and struggling musicians find the Internet to be a revolutionary way to produce and distribute their own music, bypassing the major record labels. The Internet can provide what every musician needs to be successful–exposure. Without exposure, no one buys the CDs, attends the concerts or purchases the T-shirts, ball caps, beer mugs and posters sold by the artists.

On the other hand, some artists have reacted negatively to online music, fearing a drastic reduction in the royalty payments from CD sales and losses of other revenue.

Whether you support the idea of music downloading or not, there is no turning back. As of the end of 2004, 200 million songs were downloaded that year–a tenfold increase from the previous year. And the courts have ruled that file sharing software is NOT illegal, in and of itself.

While the major legitimate online music services like iTunes Music Store, EMusic, and Napster 2.0, with deals from major record labels, carry between 700,000 and 1 million songs, Internet upstarts like GarageBand.com already claim an expanding library of 1.8 million songs available for free.

Whether you use a subscription site and buy your tunes, or search out free music on the Web, there is no doubt that the entire music world has been radically changed by the Internet and the advent of digital music.

So get online, download your favorite tunes, turn up the volume, and “let the good times roll.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Now there is no doubt that the fact that Mozart was composing music by the age of five does not prove that any of the rest of us ever could compose music, but a number of studies conducted over the past fifty or so years indicates that most children can begin composing music as long as they are given both guidance and opportunity.

True, in the vast majority of the cases the end product is not going to rival anything that Mozart put out, but just because you (or your child) may not be the best there ever was at composing music doesnt mean the attempt is not worth the effort. If we follow that reasoning why would a child learn to walk or run when he or she knows he could never walk or run as well as, say, Michael Jordan? Why would they learn to talk if they knew they could never speak as well as Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan?

Similarly, imagine if Mozarts parents had not given him the opportunity to be exposed to music and then the formal training that gave him the tools to begin composing music. The world would be a poorer place without the input of this musical genius.

In Mozarts situation, he began formal training on the keyboard at the age of four and within a year he was composing music though Im sure that it wasnt of the caliber of his later works. In the case of the average child, however studies have shown that if given the opportunity and the education (i.e. instruction on an instrument, a little bit of music theory, etc) average children can begin composing music somewhere around the age of nine.

Give your child the opportunity and training he or she needs to begin composing music. In most cases it will develop their mind, round out their education, and give them a creative outlet. Eventually, however, of all the children composing music who might not have otherwise, the next Mozart will spring and if its your child, the world will thank you. And if not, at least your child has been exposed to some good music and had his or her mind stretched a bit.

I am extremely thankful that my parents had the good sense to expose me to music by way of piano lessons starting when I was about 7. And even though it didn’t “take” until I was an early teenager, when it did I had the background in music theory and technique to where I could progress rapidly from then on. And while I’m a country mile from Mozart’s class, I do well enough to enjoy my self and make a living in music.

About The Author Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for both children & adults. His book & DVD course entitled “Classical Piano For Adult Beginners!” (http://www.pianoforbeginners.com/) is used by adults around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” (http://www.playpiano.com/) with over 58,800 current subscribers. Classical Piano For Adult Beginners! (www.pianoforbeginners.com) is used by adults around the world. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 58,800 current subscribers available from www.playpiano.com. duane@playpiano.com

LOS ANGELES, CA USA While some musicians sing on radio commercials and some actors speak on them, very few people get to do both. But Scott G, who writes and records as THE G-MAN, did just that on new radio spots for Goodrich.

“It’s great to be working with such a high-profile client as Goodrich,” G-Man stated from his studio in Los Angeles. “Ninety percent of the commercial aircraft in the world have at least one product from Goodrich Aerostructures,” G added, “so you know there’s a lot riding on the marketing message.”

As the owner of G-Man Music & Radical Radio, creators of award-winning radio commercials and music for both radio and TV spots, Scott G is very aware of the needs of ad agencies and advertising clients.

WEB-SAVVY:
In addition to his ad and marketing experience, he is very tuned into the Web. Earlier this year, hundreds of Web sites and newspapers ran a story (”Peer-to-Peer to Launch a Career”) of how The G-Man made history by giving his music away on the Internet, encouraging P2P filesharing of his work, and even sending individual tracks to DJs and remixers so they could create new versions of his songs. This resulted in club play, airplay, an indie record deal, a publishing deal, and worldwide press attention.

Songs by The G-Man have been called “Moby meets Bowie” (by producer Pete Anderson), “Moby meets Devo” (by TV producer Paul Rich), and “The rhythm of machines with melodies of the heart” (by music writer Janis Amy). Released by Delvian Records, The G-Man’s albums are: GRIN GROOVE (2002), ELECTRO BOP (2003) and PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX (2004), and each has been hailed as a sonic masterpiece by reviewers.

THE PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX features G-Man songs in dance/trance mixes by Matt Forger (Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney); Random Distribution (who took a G-Man remix to #1 in Russia); and DJ Insane (who took a G-Man remix to #5 on a European dance chart). PLATINUM AGE is now in its third month in the top forty on the Masspool DJ Association Dance/Crossover Chart.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
Scott is also a creative director of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP), a member of The Recording Academy (NARAS) and writes about music for many organizations, including MusicDish.com and the Immedia Wire Service. The G-Man’s songs are on iTunes and Amazon.com as well as at http://www.delvianrecords.com, http://www.digipie.com, http://www.96decibels.com, and http://www.myspace.com/thegman.

G-Man’s music and commercial production work for clients such as Verizon Wireless, PayLess Shoes, Warner Bros. Records, and more, may be played at: http://www.gmanmusic.com.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry. If there’s an aircraft in the sky, Goodrich is on it. Goodrich technology is involved in making aircraft fly, helping them land, and keeping them safe. With annual revenues of more than $4 billion, Goodrich is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide in over 100 facilities across 16 countries.

MUSIC YOU’VE HEARD:
“I love working with clients like Goodrich and Verizon Wireless,” G stated. “They want material that catches your ear without distracting from the spoken message. My music is on lots of commercials,” G added, “but you often wouldn’t know it because it’s in so many different styles. While the tracks on my albums are electronic-pop, my commercial music is in pop, rock, jazz, electronic, ambient - I did a polka the other day. True, there wasn’t an actual accordion in the room, but it was a polka, nonetheless.”

Contact:
Brian Forest or Scott G
Immedia Wire / G-Man Music
immedia@pacbell.net
818-223-8486

LOS ANGELES, CA USA While some musicians sing on radio commercials and some actors speak on them, very few people get to do both. But Scott G, who writes and records as THE G-MAN, did just that on new radio spots for Goodrich.

“It’s great to be working with such a high-profile client as Goodrich,” G-Man stated from his studio in Los Angeles. “Ninety percent of the commercial aircraft in the world have at least one product from Goodrich Aerostructures,” G added, “so you know there’s a lot riding on the marketing message.”

As the owner of G-Man Music & Radical Radio, creators of award-winning radio commercials and music for both radio and TV spots, Scott G is very aware of the needs of ad agencies and advertising clients.

WEB-SAVVY:
In addition to his ad and marketing experience, he is very tuned into the Web. Earlier this year, hundreds of Web sites and newspapers ran a story (”Peer-to-Peer to Launch a Career”) of how The G-Man made history by giving his music away on the Internet, encouraging P2P filesharing of his work, and even sending individual tracks to DJs and remixers so they could create new versions of his songs. This resulted in club play, airplay, an indie record deal, a publishing deal, and worldwide press attention.

Songs by The G-Man have been called “Moby meets Bowie” (by producer Pete Anderson), “Moby meets Devo” (by TV producer Paul Rich), and “The rhythm of machines with melodies of the heart” (by music writer Janis Amy). Released by Delvian Records, The G-Man’s albums are: GRIN GROOVE (2002), ELECTRO BOP (2003) and PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX (2004), and each has been hailed as a sonic masterpiece by reviewers.

THE PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX features G-Man songs in dance/trance mixes by Matt Forger (Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney); Random Distribution (who took a G-Man remix to #1 in Russia); and DJ Insane (who took a G-Man remix to #5 on a European dance chart). PLATINUM AGE is now in its third month in the top forty on the Masspool DJ Association Dance/Crossover Chart.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
Scott is also a creative director of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP), a member of The Recording Academy (NARAS) and writes about music for many organizations, including MusicDish.com and the Immedia Wire Service. The G-Man’s songs are on iTunes and Amazon.com as well as at http://www.delvianrecords.com, http://www.digipie.com, http://www.96decibels.com, and http://www.myspace.com/thegman.

G-Man’s music and commercial production work for clients such as Verizon Wireless, PayLess Shoes, Warner Bros. Records, and more, may be played at: http://www.gmanmusic.com.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industry. If there’s an aircraft in the sky, Goodrich is on it. Goodrich technology is involved in making aircraft fly, helping them land, and keeping them safe. With annual revenues of more than $4 billion, Goodrich is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide in over 100 facilities across 16 countries.

MUSIC YOU’VE HEARD:
“I love working with clients like Goodrich and Verizon Wireless,” G stated. “They want material that catches your ear without distracting from the spoken message. My music is on lots of commercials,” G added, “but you often wouldn’t know it because it’s in so many different styles. While the tracks on my albums are electronic-pop, my commercial music is in pop, rock, jazz, electronic, ambient - I did a polka the other day. True, there wasn’t an actual accordion in the room, but it was a polka, nonetheless.”

Contact:
Brian Forest or Scott G
Immedia Wire / G-Man Music
immedia@pacbell.net
818-223-8486

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Your celebration of Independence Day may include watching fireworks, having a barbeque, or tuning in one of the TV marathons, but chances are you will also hear some patriotic music during the holiday.

These familiar tunes are exciting and uplifting, but how much do you know about how they were created or the people who wrote them? There are some surprising facts behind all of this glorious music.

So, fire up the outdoor grill, look up at the pyrotechnics, and strike up the band as we reveal the secrets behind the most influential nationalistic musical moments of all time.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key, 1814.

Schoolchildren in America all learn how Key watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and so admired the courage of the beleaguered American forces that he wrote four stanzas of “The Star Spangled Banner” (only the first is usually performed). Key based the melody on an English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The song has only been the national anthem since 1931, and there was a strong movement to replace it with one of the other songs on this list.

“America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” Samuel F. Smith, 1832.

The music was composed in the 1700s, sometimes attributed to Henry Cary. First popular in Great Britain as “God Save the King (Queen),” the song became bi-continental in 1832. Modern audiences have been greatly moved by the R&B version by Ray Charles, a truly wonderful blending of emotion with what musicians call “the groove.”

“Rally ‘Round the Flag,” George F. Root, 1862.

Written for the Union army and its supporters during the Civil War, the song was hugely popular in the North. This didn’t prevent Confederate troops from writing their own lyrics and singing the song throughout the South.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Louis Lambert, c. 1863.

Lambert was a pseudonym for Union Army Bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore. His lyrics, set to an old Irish folk song, were popular through the whole Reconstruction Era (1865-1896). It appears in an extended instrumental version on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s film “Dr. Strangelove.”

“Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia W. Howe, 1861.

Howe is another lyricist who succeeded by utilizing a pre-existing piece of music, in this case a camp meeting tune of the 19th century (which also became “John Brown’s Body”). The profound power of the words combined with the compelling melody cannot be denied, and it was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

“Overture: 1812,” Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1880.

Patriotic music doesnt always revolve around the July 4th celebration, or even refer to the USA. Tchaikovsky got Russian hearts a-pounding with his “1812 Overture in E Flat Major Op. 49,” written to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his country’s victory battle during the Napoleonic Wars.

“Semper Fidelis,” John Philip Sousa, 1889.

Popular ever since it was first performed, the effective and spirited tune takes its name from the U.S. Marine Corps motto meaning “always faithful” and is dedicated to the Marines.

“America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, 1895, 1904, 1913.

Originally a poem that Bates twice revised after its first publication in 1885, “America the Beautiful” was sung to several different melodies. The song associated with it today is “Materna,” composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882, but it was also often performed to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“Stars and Stripes Forever,” John Philip Sousa, 1896.

Composed on Christmas Day, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has become the country’s official march (US Code, Title 36 Chapter 10). Sousa wrote lyrics to the song, but they are little known today (sample: “Let martial note in triumph float / And liberty extend its mighty hand / A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers, / The banner of the Western land.)”

“Yankee Doodle Boy,” George M. Cohan, 1904.

“You’re A Grand Old Flag,” George M. Cohan, 1906.

“Over There,” George M. Cohan, 1917.

Known as “the man who owned Broadway,” Cohan was a superstar before the term was coined. While his film biography is called “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the title of his first big tribute to America is actually “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Cohan excited U.S. audiences again in 1906 with “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” although the original line was “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” It was America’s entrance into World War I in 1917 that inspired Cohan to write “Over There,” for which he received a congressional medal.

“God Bless America,” Irving Berlin, 1938.

The prolific Berlin (900+ songs despite being unable to read music) originally wrote this song right after the first World War, but did not complete it until just before World War II. Kate Smith first performed it during her radio show on Armistice Day, 1938. An immediate sensation, the song was often suggested to replace the “Star Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Jimi Hendrix, 1969.

The legendary guitarist took the stage near dawn on the final day of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The 13th song in his hour-long set was an incendiary rendition of the venerable tune. In a performance that was somehow savage and grand at the same time, Hendrix wrestled new levels of emotion from the song and generations have never heard it quite the same way again.

“Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola, 1979.

The music in question is “Ride of the Valkyries,” from Richard Wagner’s opera, “Die Walkure” (1854-56). The composition fit perfectly into director Coppola’s nightmarish vision of the Vietnam War. The sequence, featuring a helicopter attack at dawn, never fails to raise the emotions of viewers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 by: ARA Content

(ARA) - The digital audio revolution is in full swing as music lovers worldwide are using their computers as high-tech jukeboxes.

But you’re not just limited to listening to songs on your PC while you check your e-mail. It’s easier than ever to manage your collection and listen to it in your car, whatever your destination.

“It’s great to hit the road and hear hours of the songs you want, when you want them. You’re no longer confined to hearing only the radio, or swapping CDs on the front seat,” said Dan Hodgson, senior vice president of Merchandising at Crutchfield Corporation, the leading Internet and catalog retailer of consumer electronics.

Several innovative and easy-to-use products help you move music from your PC to your car’s sound system. Here are some quick pointers for getting your “tunes to go.”

First, get the music you want to your PC. You can download files from the Internet, most commonly in the MP3 format, or copy tracks from your current CDs, using widely-available music management software.

Once you’ve got your music library, it’s time to make it portable. Popular options include using a CD recorder in your computer to “burn” a disc of MP3-encoded songs, or storing your files on memory card devices that link to your computer through a docking station.

• Replacing your car stereo receiver with one that plays MP3-encoded CDs is a popular way to listen to your PC music on the go. Since an MP3-encoded CD holds about 10 hours of music, you won’t have to be flipping through endless CD cases in your car.

Many receivers, especially older ones, don’t understand the MP3 code. But almost every manufacturer now makes one or more receivers for MP3 CD playback. With these, you can record a CD at home and simply slip it into your car receiver. Most receivers will even flash the titles for you.

• If you have a portable MP3 player (or an MP3-compatible CD player), you don’t need a special in-dash receiver. Just look for one that has an “aux in” — an auxiliary input where you can plug your player directly into the head unit using a mini-jack. You’ll hear your music played from your player through your car’s sound system, though most systems aren’t set up to scroll through song titles.

• For users who prefer even more songs and higher-tech equipment, Sony and Pioneer offer mobile hard drive devices. These products store massive amounts of music on their hard drives, like a computer. To move files from computer to car, they use a cartridge or other removable memory devices.

Another option is to use “mini-computers” that link to your receiver and your PC. For example, the Kenwood Music Keg (KHD-CX910) has a 10 gigabyte storage cartridge that can store and play back roughly 2,500 MP3-encoded songs through Kenwood car receivers. Blaupunkt has a compact MP3 drive (MDP01) that will hold about 18 hours of music. You’ll be able to drive halfway across the country and never hear the same tune twice.

Consumers can find complete information on mobile audio at www.crutchfield.com/infolib.

About The Author Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, contact Alan Rimm-Kaufman, (804) 817-1000, ext. 2301. Founded in 1974, Crutchfield Corporation is the nation’s largest direct integrated marketer (catalog, call center, and Internet) of consumer electronics products. It offers a convenient, full-service shopping destination to buyers of car and home audio/video products. Providing a superior level of customer service, Crutchfield is noted for its high integrity, product expertise, and technical support. Mailed to approximately 8.5 million households, Crutchfield’s catalogs include comprehensive explanations of product and technology intended to help consumers make informed buying decisions. Crutchfield was the first vendor-authorized audio/video retailer on the Internet, launching its Web site (www.crutchfield.com) in the summer of 1995.

]]> http://www.blogwithapunk.com/s-to-go-music-from-your-computer-to-your-car-46/3388/feed/