The Business of Music

                Yesterday Berklee's music business department hosted their annual Hip Hop Symposium. A panel of black music industry professionals assembled to discuss their experiences in the business. The panel included Ryan Leslie top artist/producer; Ed Woods Attorney, former exec VP of Black Music, Casablanca; Francesca Spero whose credits in publishing, project executive oversight, music supervision include longtime VP Management/Publishing;  Joi Pitts Head of Urban Marketing/Brand Partnerships Mgr - Atlantic; Leonard Lb Brooks Sr. VP A&R Labels/Head of Urban: EMI; and Sharon Heyward Former top exec Virgin Perspective.  While this is I believe the 4th year that they've put on this symposium it was the first time I had seen it. And I wasn't particularly impressed. Oddly enough the high point of the night for me was watching the Hip-Hop Ensemble play. I say oddly because miraculously it sounded good, and I didn't need to fight the band to get it that way. For such a high energy start it just fizzled out and then got really awkward at the end.
                  I always complain that clinicians who come to Berklee rarely rise to the level where Berklee students operate. That was the impression I had last night.  The general message was: educate yourself about the business of music, so you can make your own success.  This was the driving message to a room full of students who were presumably studying music business?  I think they came to that conclusion already. I was hoping for something more insightful, more specific, something that spoke to the technicalities of working in music business. Now maybe I'm being unfair.   I've been at Berklee awhile and have heard many many many clinics on how to become a successful artist. After two or three you realize that there is no formula for success. I forget that there are students who haven't had the benefit of hearing this message yet.  On the other hand I would have loved to hear something unique.  Especially since this panel was speaking specifically about the business of Hip- Hop. I was curious to see if the experience in the Urban music industry varied much from the other industry representatives Berklee has hosted over the years.  My husband jokingly asked after it was over if they gave advice on how to patch bullet holes in your Escalade, or what the appropriate size for an entourage is. And he's right, their experience seemed no different from any one else who works in this business.  I will say the main attraction of the night Ryan Leslie, was worth the hubbub. Beyond the usual bland advice he put some ideas out there that I'd never heard before and that never occurred to me.  Mainly the idea of using social media not just as a means of getting your music out  there, but as a gauge of whether or not it's any good.  If you put something on Facebook and of your 100+ friends and only 3 people comment on it, then it certainly won't catch the attention of any one else outside of that network. A valid point which made me very insecure about my measly 24 followers on twitter. Geez, maybe I should rethink this blog for that matter.  My own failings aside, it's a novel idea. In this world of instant access there is a way for anyone to say whatever they want to say and get feedback on it. Now he wasn't the only one touting the benefits of using social media but he was the first, and then in true superstar fashion left early to then get on a plane to Paris. And while I had never thought of it that way, telling a group of 18-21 year old the potential of social media is the epitome of preaching to the choir. What everyone failed to mention is the vast amount of luck you need to be "discovered" via the Internet.
                  These talks always seem to center on how to become the next big star, and it makes sense because these panelist all work with big stars, or are big stars, but there are so many ways to live and make music without being a household name.  Frankly the large music industry establishment is running on an antiquated system that is dying out. It's always more interesting to hear how different "indie" musicians have carved a place for themselves.  My favorite example of this was ( not so indie) John Mayer, who said that it's important to always set new goals for yourself. Explaining that as an artist you decide when and what makes you a success.  Can you afford a house and support your life? Did you sell out the 300 seat club you are playing at. There are so many types of success that don't require you to be a phenomenon, they simply require you to be good and work hard. In that case you don't need to worry about creating a brand or image for yourself to sell to labels. Who you are as an artist will develop and solidify with time.  So in between the "find yourself a good manager" and "don't sign anything without a lawyer looking at it first" the underlying message was hone your craft, and learn as much as you can about as many things can, which at the end of the day is a message I can get behind even if I'm a little tired of hearing it.