Audrey Riley trained at the Guildhall School Of Music, London with Leonard Stehn. As an award-winning arranger and improvising ‘cellist she has recorded for over two decades with groups including Dave Matthews and The Smashing Pumpkins. With her own orchestra she has contributed arrangements to countless albums, including two for Coldplay, three for Muse, Feeder, Moloko, Amy MacDonald, Brendan Benson, Spandau Ballet, Birdy and James Blunt. Three of her arrangements have featured on Grammy award winning singles.

As a ‘cellist she has performed with many dance companies: Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Random, Dance, Siobhan Davies Dance Company, and Merce Cunningham Dance Company, in works by Kevin Volans, Michael Gordon and David Lang, and most recently with Jacky Lansley.

In 2003 she began her own project, A Change Of Light, with Andrew Zolinsky, James Woodrow, drummers Nick and Rob Allum, and artist Philip Riley. It creates new works for cello in collaboration with composers and the visual arts. She also recently completed her first film score, “The Third Letter”.

She is a tutor in composition and arranging for Bmus degree at The Institute For Contemporary Music Performance, tutor in Instrumental Ensemble Studies at Brunel University, and regularly gives or takes part in composition and performance workshops in colleges.

Here Audrey tells MSH how she got started as a session musician, what it takes to succeed and where to go when you need help and advice…

How did you get in to session work and where did you start?

I went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study cello, and I was headed for playing in an orchestra, or so I thought. But I’d had an amazingly opened minded and contemporary music education with my youth orchestra in Leicestershire, and I was mad about all music, not just classical. My brother’s a singer songwriter and even while at Guildhall fun meant playing cello on his songs, and experimenting with recording because he’d got his head around production skills. So it didn’t take much to prise me away from orchestral life when the potential for more musical experiences turned up. This was just chance, being seen playing with my brother. I joined a band, Virginia Astley was looking for a ‘cellist and I was suggested. I spent three years learning how to be more than an orchestral ‘cellist. I owe Virginia for that.

After that it was just a case of being seen and heard playing and being recommended by the people I was working with, it can move quite fast if you’re good, but also modest and want to learn. I never lied about anything I was asked to do. For instance, the first times I was asked to do a string arrangement it went like this: In the studio having been recommended to play ‘cello on a track. Session goes well, producer and band are impressed. Could I come back next week and bring some friends on violins and viola? Of course, but what will we play? Well you made up a great part for yourself on ‘cello there, why don’t you write something? The answer is, sure, as long as you know I’ve never done that before, but this is going to be great, I’m going to learn so much!

Nearly three decades later, standing in front of my own orchestra, or the strings players of La Scala, or the Seattle Symphony, I’m still trying to learn from this! But it’s great. I have the best job in the world.

What did you think being a session musician would be like when you were starting out, and have your expectations been met?

I had no idea. I had no idea I was going to be a session musician. But I loved music, especially contemporary music and I wanted to be playing and pushing the boundries all the time. I didn’t think of it as “I’m going to be a session musician and arranger”. I was just doing everything I could to expand my experience. I was playing everything I was asked to: orchestral, classical, rock, experimental, pop. I had some amazing friends at the time and what we were interested in was exploring music, contemporary music, rock music. Writing, recording, making demos, all the time. So we were doing concerts, putting on our own gigs, getting people to write music, writing music ourselves. Being asked to the studio or to do a gig with a rock or experimental band was just all part of it.

One other important factor in all this is that in a way I didn’t decide anything or choose anything. Times weren’t that great when I left the Guildhall, it wasn’t that easy to earn money and it was a fair old struggle to begin with.  One thing was really clear though, besides being the best you could possibly be, being versatile was really going to help too. Not standing above anything you might be asked to play. Having some humility and understanding that this was the artist’s record, not yours, and your job was to enhance that vision, support.  I can remember there was a slight idea at the time that if you ‘left’ the classical world you may not be invited back. I think it really helped me that I loved the music I was playing, it was so interesting I genuinely didn’t even stop to consider where it might be taking me.

As for expectations, I didn’t really have any. I gather the period of time just as I started in sessions was it’s hay day. But I wasn’t aware of that, it didn’t feel like it to me starting out!

Based on your experience, what are the most important qualities you need to be a session musician?

I’ve just been reading Andy Pask’s contribution to the site and I think he’s pretty much said it all.

Punctuality, modesty, humility, creativity, an ability to get on with people, an understanding as Andy says that technical skill, passion and energy to add some extra spark are needed. Thinking it’s your big moment to shine, being late, wasting people’s energy are not.

But of course also understanding the job. Almost a diagnosis. Divining what’s needed and then supplying it. I often start by trying to imagine what the artist would play on cello, or write for strings, if it were them doing it. Because they have after all asked you for a reason, they’ve imagined something. I try to contribute that and then add a touch of my own enthusiasm. That’s easy to supply, you just need to be into the track. My goal is to look in to the control room and see smiles and happiness from the band and the producer as I hit the target of their imagination.

You have to understand too that making mistakes, not bothering about it too much, not getting on with people, all these things you’re maybe allowed to do once, but never again. No one will tell you, you just won’t be asked back. When I work with my orchestra and other players I’ve been lucky enough to work with, I can see and hear clearly that these are world class musicians, soloists in their own right. But in the studio they buckle that down, they can hear immediately what kind of playing is needed to carry off the artist and producer creative vision, and what’s needed sonically for the recording. Then, semi-miraculously, they deliver that, mostly without error and on the first take. Mostly, the rest of the takes will be because of mic placement change, or part change, or a new idea come up.

It’s perhaps not realised. Sessions aren’t things that really good players sometimes go and do. Being a dedicated session player is a job, a role, with all the skill of a precision engineer.

When you started out, where did you go for advice, information or support when you needed it?

My colleagues and friends, my teacher Len Stehn, the MU.

The MU’s Session Section deals with the special interests of MU members working as session musicians and is a benefit of MU membership. You can find out more about the Session Section and useful events on the MU’s website.

If you have any questions regarding this interview or any of the articles featured, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address them.

For other tips and links to resources make sure you are following us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our newsletter, if you prefer email.

The Team,
Music Supported Here

The post Audrey Riley – tips and advice appeared first on Music Supported Here.

Andy has a long and successful career as a session musician. His album credits include Freddie Mercury, Sharleen Spiteri, Jimmy Sommerville, Madonna, The Pet Shop Boys, Shirley Bassey, 5-Star, Gloria Gaynor, Cliff Richard, China Crisis, Tom Jones, Bananarama, Steve Marriot, Ronan Keating, Hue & Cry, Nana Mouskouri, Debbie Harry, Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, Tracie Bennet and New London Chorale, and has toured extensively across the globe with many artists. Andy has also worked on countless albums for the Spanish and South American markets and also recorded many albums as a member of the rhythm section for all the main London Orchestras.

His feature film work includes Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Robin Hood, How to Train Your Dragon, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Leap Year, Nine, 3 Twilight films, Shanghai Noon, Last Orders, Spy Kids, The Guru, Calendar Girls, Gosford Park, The Recruit, Little Shop of Horrors, Hugo, The Hobbit, Seven Psychopaths and the Full Monty. He has worked on projects in Poland with Zbigniew Preisner and at the Ghent film festival with the famed Hans Zimmer.

For television Andy was resident bass player on the chat shows Wogan and Barrymore, has supplied the bass for all the Stars in their Eyes shows and recorded the tracks for Pop Idol and Pop Stars – the Rivals. Other TV work includes: The Rock Gospel Show, Ruby Wax, Surprise Surprise, Brian Conley, Miss World, the Children in Need house band, various Royal Variety show house bands, Des O’Connor tonight, Songs of Praise, The Paul Daniels show, Night Fever, and the Generation Game. As a composer, Andy has written many works, including the theme to the long running police series, The Bill.

His resident theatre work has included Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Ghost, Hair and he is currently playing for The Bodyguard.

Before his career as a session musician took off, Andy was a chorister in the choir of New College, Oxford and studied Cello and Double Bass at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After leaving college, he went on to chart success with the song Einsein a go-go and extensive touring as a founder member of the group Landscape.

Here Andy talks to us about how he started in session work, what you need to be a successful session musician and hanging out with Freddie Mercury at Abbey Road… 

How did you get in to session work and where did you start?

I studied cello and double bass at the Royal Academy of Music for three years but what I actually did was spend most of my time out and about playing my first love, bass guitar, with as many bands and people as possible. Mostly unpaid, I worked with Rehearsal big bands, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Cabaret gigs, pop gigs, project jazz groups, function bands, theatre, pub gigs….you get the picture: anything I could find. I didn’t aim for session work, in fact I didn’t really know where I was going, I just wanted to play as much as possible. Along the way some of the bands and artists I was working with would do the odd BBC broadcast or TV and then I would occasionally get a call from people I didn’t know to do a session with them and then fixers I didn’t know would start ringing up. It was a slow process of word of mouth. And all the time I was still doing ‘art’ projects and countless gigs (again, mostly for next to nothing): people get to hear about you and you start being recommended by players you’ve worked with for sessions, just as you are doing the same thing for them. It often amazes me how many musicians, writers and arrangers I still work with now that I met during my first few years.

You’ve worked with some amazing names. What did you think being a session musician would be like when you were starting out, and have your expectations been met?

I didn’t really know what it would be like but I was very attracted to the idea of doing album projects, which was a much bigger deal artistically for session musicians in the pop world of the seventies and eighties than it tends to be now. As well as freelancing in all sorts of areas, I was also in a signed band for about 6 years, so I was doing albums with them as an artist which got me into the studio for many hours and taught me a lot. As for my expectations at the time, I didn’t really have any. I was just pleased to be playing and getting paid for it. My career has been wonderful and the best thing about it is the variety of work I have enjoyed and that variety has massively increased since I started playing double bass again 12 years ago. A whole new musical world has opened up to me. Alongside the studio, I have also done a lot of live work which I love. I have been to many countries all over the world doing concerts.

Based on your experience, what are the most important qualities you need to be a session musician?

Obviously you need the kind of musical abilities that would apply in any area of music making.

Specifically to session work: the knowledge and ability to come up with a huge variety of sounds and the equipment with which to do it. If I am going to a project and I might need to be flexible sonically, there are four bass guitars I take that cover pretty much any sound I might be asked for or that I think might be best for the track. I also take a double bass if that is required. I have my own DI box but prefer recording with an amp as well if it’s possible and I have a bag full of effects pedals. I always use my own headphones. The headphones mostly used in studios are useless for bass which means you are working in the dark and if you have to set up different sounds without hearing anything in the control room, which happens a lot, it’s very hard. In fact, a lot of the time, in TV for example, you won’t be able to hear back what you’re doing at all. You have to trust to experience that you’re sending the right sound. And very often, in a session with a lot of miked orchestral players you will be asked to turn your amp off which means your instrument is completely silent to you but loud in the control room.

Very, very good sight reading.

A wide knowledge of as many musical styles as possible. The ideal, which almost nobody achieves, is to be able to play a great many styles but make each one sound as if it is the only one you have played all your life.

With an improvisational instrument such as mine, a sixth sense of when to play exactly what is written or when to embellish (and hopefully improve) what is there. The ideal is to bring something to the music which the producer, artist or arranger may not have thought of which enhances what is written. If they don’t like it, they will soon let you know but that sixth sense will tell you where to pitch it, and will hopefully only give rise to complements.

A heavy dose of creativity. Often you will be just working with a chord chart – so it’s up to you to invent the right part.

A very good sense of time. Whether you’re asked to play on an orchestral film score or a reggae song, 95% of the time it will be recorded with a click track. And ironically, you need a better sense of time to work with clicks than without.

Play as many instruments in your grouping as possible. I cover fretted, fretless and acoustic bass guitars, orchestral and jazz double bass. If you decide to specialize on only tenor sax for example, you won’t work much in this world. You ideally need all the saxes, clarinet and flute.

Keep up with new musical styles and genres, it’s important to be up to date and playing new stuff is half the fun.

Session etiquette: don’t be late, you waste everybody’s time (and money) by turning up late and you won’t get many chances.

By the very nature of this world, from time to time you will be playing music you’re not into – art is very personal after all. Even if you hate the music don’t complain about it to anyone, nobody wants to work with someone who moans – there are enough other issues to deal with and it’s rude: to the artist, this is their baby, they are into the music by definition. Concentrate on doing your best and you’ll soon find you are getting something out of the session as well.

There will be long, hard, difficult days – get used to it, everyone is in the same situation and never forget how many people would like to be making a living doing what you do. Don’t come over big time. No-one’s impressed and you’re likely to do more harm than good. Be modest and respectful to other players – you are hopefully forging long term relationships.

What would you suggest those who want to break into session work do to build up their CV?   

I can think of very few players who make a career from just doing sessions. Most people do a mix of things including live work, teaching, touring, writing, arranging and more. The session business can’t support as many full time players as it used to and most players want to do as many different things as possible anyway. This not only makes their lives more interesting, it also informs what they do in the studio. Session playing should be where you bring all your accumulated musical knowledge to a recording project, not seen as an end in itself, and that knowledge should be acquired in as many ways as possible.

When you started out, where did you go for advice, information or support when you needed it?

I didn’t really, I kind of worked things out for myself and there’s always a lot of chat among players about the business side of things and how to deal with problems. We naturally pool our knowledge and because we all go from project to project working with different groups of people, there is a big pool of information and experience to dip into – a real life forum I suppose. There were some very helpful older players who would help out with the odd comment from time to time when I was young and nervous, and it was a thrill to gradually, one by one, work with famous session players I had admired for many years. I had to pinch myself occasionally when I heard these players in my headphones for the first time.

Can you tell us something about building relationships with producers and those who employ you as a session musician? How important is that relationship, and where do you start creating it?

This is very important. And it goes a lot deeper than just getting the music right. You have to be as helpful to everyone as you can: musically, socially and with the business side.  And that goes for everyone. The producer may love you but if the musicians don’t you’ve got a problem. It starts on your first session and just keeps going. You want to lift problems from the people you work with, not add to them. A producer will notice this.

Tell us about the best/worst sessions you have done. 

I generally don’t think in these terms but a couple do spring to mind.

I remember starting two days of ‘lift music’ sessions when I was very young and being so depressed about the prospect I just couldn’t imagine myself getting to the end of the two days. I hadn’t worked out at that stage about finding positive aspects of the work to focus on and getting something out of it for myself.

Freddie Mercury. The best. He didn’t record very much outside Queen but he did a track called ‘In my Defense’ on the Time project which I played on. The musicians were in a corner of Abbey Road 1, which is huge, with just myself, Mike Moran on piano and Graham Jarvis on drums laying the basic track. We ran through it and then played it to him when he arrived. He then spent an hour reworking the arrangement with just Mike and it gradually got closer and closer to something Queen might have done. One of the guys in his entourage told me that he likes a lot of slides on the bass – very useful information. We laid the track and then he did his vocal. I thought I’m hanging around for this. I’ve never seen such energy as he created the vocal performance. He would go for outrageous stuff and if it didn’t quite come off they would roll the tape back and go again. After about an hour he had created this wonderful performance and was stripped to the waste with the exertion. I’ll never forget it.

Every session musician will have a different interpretation of their role, what is yours?

My role as a bass player is to support and enhance as much as possible everything else. You want to help make the music sound as special and meaningful as possible and I will leave no musical stone unturned to try to achieve this. If the music isn’t feeling right, I just keep trying to work out why and do something about it if I can. Mostly I think I succeed, sometimes not, but I do my very best.

The MU hosts networking and seminar events all year around. You can find out more about events on the MU’s website, where you can also find details of the Session Section. The Session Section deals with the special interests of MU members working as session musicians and is a benefit of MU membership. 

If you are a professional musician and have been asked to work for free at all, check out Work Not Play, the MU’s fair pay for musicians campaign.

If you have any questions regarding this interview or any of the articles featured, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address them.

For other tips and links to resources make sure you are following us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our newsletter, if you prefer email.

The Team,
Music Supported Here

The post Andy Pask on session work – tips and advice appeared first on Music Supported Here.

Beginning his career as a trainee tape-op at CBS studios in 1975, Steve soon progressed to in house engineer, working with many now classic new wave & punk acts including The Clash, The Jags, The Vibrators, XTC as well as many of CBS records pop acts, including Sailor. Beach Boy, Bruce Johnston was to play an important part in Steve’s early career, culminating with Steve producing an album for the Beach Boys several years later.  Steve also produced all of Culture Club’s classic hits and the band’s three multi-platinum albums.  Since then he has worked with a wide spectrum of artistes and composed a number of film scores.

Steve has collected a number of prestigious awards including Brit Award for Producer of the Year, Musicweek Top Singles Producer and a Grammy for his work with Deneice Williams. Steve is also a LIPA companion and Honarary Doctorate at Bucks University.

Steve is a regular guest speaker at various pro-audio seminars for companies such as Yamaha, Korg, Apple Computers  & Harman Automotive and presents production master-classes at the Apple store in London.  His radio production company, formed with Richard Allison , Magnum Opus Broadcasting produces documentary series for the BBC and XFM; in particular, The Record Producers for BBC Radio 2 with an extended version on 6Music. This series focuses on the art of record production from the producer’s perspective. In 2011 Steve was awarded a Sony Radio Award for his contribution to these specialist documentaries. Steve presented a radio show – ”Live @ Levines” which featured conversations with artists and musicians on the records that have inspired them to create their music.  He has also appeared on many radio and TV programmes; he is a regular guest on BBC‘s 6 Music.

Along with his radio and TV work, he is busy producing exciting new bands for his new label Hubris Records;  first release 6 Day Riot.  Currently, Steve is working with Daytona Lights & Natalie McCool. Steve is the author of the highly successful Hit Kit and the Art of Downloading Music. Steve is a Director of PRS for music, MCPS, UK Music, member of the MU Executive Committee &MU LRC and  Chairman of The Music Producer’s Guild.

In part 2 of his interview with Music Supported Here, Steve shares his advice for artists working with producers for the first time, tips on home recording, starting out as a session musicians and his thoughts on the impact of piracy…

What advice would you give to artists working with a producer for the first time?

Do your research, do your rehearsal and make sure you present your producer with what you want. Producers are very good at doing things most of the time, but they’re not magicians. You have got to understand what your skill is as a band, what you want to achieve, and present that to the producer. Open communication and honesty are so important.

New models of working are emerging all the time. You are producing new bands for your new label Hubris Records. You have worked with artists including The Beach Boys and Culture Club before issues like piracy became prevalent. How does it compare working with emerging acts now? Can you give any advice on surviving in a continuously evolving industry?

Each band member in this day and age should develop a specialist skill. So let’s say the drummer is a great videographer. He or she needs to be in charge of that role. If the singer is great at twitter, he or she needs to do that and so on. They need to delegate those roles to people who can do them well because it’s this constant constant thing of maintaining communication with your fans.  The one thing that the independent artists have, whether you are a band or a solo artist, is that connection with the fanbase. It is something that is truly unique to this day and age. It’s like the über fan club. It’s direct contact. And when it’s really really good, for example with my band Daytona Lights, it has a great effect on their gigs.

I know record companies use terrible words like “social media” and “content”, but it is absolutely true. Bands should not take their foot off the gas at all. Really, really focus and try and do innovative things because fans really like that. Design the t-shirt, design the sleeve, take a picture, upload a video, find stuff that is really exciting and really feel a connection.

What is your view on the standard of home based productions?

If you’re recording at home, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it but be professional in your approach. Try and make sure you’re doing the right job for what your goal is.

If you’re a band then recording at home is still relatively difficult because you need to all play at once. I would encourage as much playing as possible rather than overdubbing everything separately because if you are a band, that can be a strange way of re-recording in what you are used to playing live.

If you’re trying to do quality demos to work with a producer, perhaps consider recording at your rehearsal studios. They’re only a few pounds an hour. Another tip there is if you’re working, as many musicians are, the cheap day rate is normally from 10 till 6 and the expensive rate is from 6 till 10 so it might be cheaper for you all to take a day off of work and record during the day. And if you rehearse really well you should be able to cut your 5 tracks certainly in a day or a couple of days at most.

If you are making demos with a view to working with a producer or engineer or taking your career to the next stage, then really make demos. Don’t make masters. I get so many demos from bands that are quite well recorded at home, quite well produced, but they’ve forgotten the most fundamental thing – the song – and you’ve really got to focus on it. You can’t beat great song writing or great ideas for songs. If an artist is a traditional dance act is doesn’t have to be a traditional verse chorus verse chorus, it can be a great hook or a great idea.

Any tips or advice for artists that give it a go?

Don’t all try and be everything. If you’re a great songwriter, don’t worry about learning the computer and learning how to use Logic or Pro Tools. Get someone in, you can surely find a friend. It’s almost the way I started. So if you’re a band and you want to start to record find out if you have got a friend at school or a friend at university that is studying sound engineering and wants to use you as guinea pigs. It’s a great way of building a relationship up and it’s a great way of concentrating on the things that are really important and get the engineer to concentrate on getting the levels rights.

The other thing is if you are a member of the Musicians’ Union – the MU – you can talk to them about copyright and protecting your work and legal assistance. And when you need help asserting your intellectual property rights. Their insurance is good too.

Do you think music being freely available online generates business for musicians, as some people argue, or is this illegal download culture damaging artists?

Well, it’s incredibly difficult so to take my one solo artist that we are currently working with, Natalie McCool, we’ve had an unbelievable number – an unprecedented number – of illegal downloads which has really taken its toll on us both financially and emotionally.

There was a period when Napster first came out and illegal downloads were there. Generally speaking the downloads that were illegally obtained seemed to be from the major recording artists and the major labels, and as I already mentioned punk, Napster had a punk attitude. Like, these are the big corporations, they’ve not paid tax, they’ve been ripping off the artist, we’re going to take the music for free – not realising of course the ramifications of doing that. That the artist was suffering. What has happened over the last couple of years is that the independent artists who normally didn’t suffer from piracy are suffering as much as any major artist but the devastation it causes on the independent artist is much much greater.

When you look at the record company structure, it’s very interesting because I had this conversation recently with Boy George. Boy George made a very interesting point that with the success of Culture Club in those days, and I think the same applies with my work with The Beach Boys, there was an infrastructure within the record companies that really got on and did the donkey work making sure that the minutiae of record making was completely separate to the plugging and the selling of records. And I think there’s two things that have happened now; that small independent record companies haven’t got the financial resources to have that infrastructure and the major record companies are employing lots of dare I say intern style people who are doing it but I don’t know whether they are doing it in such a holistic way with the artist. I mean Boy George used to go into Virgin and say, not every day but maybe every other day, and sit with them and work things out and I don’t know if that happens to the same degree now. So what happens is when an artist or a major artist with a major record company has a release, it’s almost like that terrible word the “impact date”, everything is geared around one day and it’s like BAM! And then if nothing happens, they move on to the next act. There’s no kind of ebb and flow like there used to be and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

And the thing to do about it as I said before is keep that contact with fans going. That is really really important. And communication with the producer. I think the public deserve to have a good quality recording and a good quality performance.

Next time, we will be speaking to session musicians. Have you got any advice, from the perspective of a producer, for those starting out in session work?

If you are a session musician rather than an artist, the thing there is to make sure you approach record producers who are going to be the ones to employ you. I think quite a lot of people who want to be session musicians make the mistake of going to the artist. Generally speaking it is the record producer who would book session musicians. Because the artist will go to the record producer and say “I’d like you to produce my record, who do you recommend?”.  And work out what your style is. If you are a rock musician, there’s no point going to a producer who does middle of the road stuff and vice versa because you’re wasting everybody’s time. Then get a good relationship going with a few record producers. Good recommendations from record producers work and word really spreads fast. So if you are going to be a session person, you’ve got to be professional, you’ve got to turn up on time and be ready to work.

Steve took part in an Artist Management seminar held by the Musicians’ Union in September 2012, which you can listen to below. You can find more from the MU on Soundcloud.

If you have any questions regarding this interview or any of the articles featured, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address them.

For other tips and links to resources make sure you are following us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our newsletter, if you prefer email.

The Team,
Music Supported Here

The post Steve Levine on artists starting out – tips and advice appeared first on Music Supported Here.

This week, concerned at the growing trend of professional musicians not being paid for their work, the Musicians’ Union is launching a campaign for fair pay for musicians. If you’ve been asked to work for free, tweet about it using the hashtag #WorkNotPlayMU.

The team at MSH knows that as musicians you love what you do. But that is no excuse for businesses like Café Rouge asking musicians to work for free at charity events where everyone else working gets paid, and only a third of the revenue goes to charitable causes.

John Smith, MU General Secretary, said “Too many people seem to think that music and entertainment are a hobby rather than a career, and are unaware of the years of training and hard work that it takes to become a professional performer.”

You can read more about the campaign and testimonials from professionals – including how they said no – at www.worknotplay.co.uk.

The post Have you been asked to work for free? appeared first on Music Supported Here.

With huge amounts of experience touring both the UK and abroad, we caught up with Skerryvore to get some valuable tips and advice, and to find out what life is like in a touring six-strong band.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

Skerryvore are a Scottish band who first formed on the tiny lsle of Tiree off Scotland’s west coast in 2005. Originally the band consisted of Tiree-born brothers Daniel Gillespie (accordion) and Martin Gillespie (bagpipes, whistles & accordion) with Fraser West (drums & vocals) and Alec Dalglish (lead vocals & guitar.) Following our 2005 debut album, ‘West Coast Life,’ Barry Caulfield (bass & vocals) and Craig Espie (fiddle) were added in time for our second album, ‘On The Road’, in 2007. Our self-titled third album, ‘Skerryvore,’ won a string of prestigious awards. In June 2012 we released our fourth album ‘World of Chances.’ Uplifting and reflective, the result is a brighter, breezier, feel good sound that looks set to broaden the band’s appeal even further.

We play throughout the year at a wide range of venues ranging from small halls to major international festivals. We manage our own record label, Tyree Records, and agency, ‘Ringingstone.’ We also work with music charity ‘Live Music Now,’ and were PSYBT ‘Young Entrepreneurs of the Year 2009.’

2. We understand that you tour abroad quite extensively. Can you share with us some of your experiences?

Skerryvore have had the pleasure of performing in over 20 countries worldwide and have built up extensive experience of touring abroad and performing to a wide range of new and different cultures and crowds. We also have experience of the difficulties involved with touring abroad such as airline issues, obtaining US visas, and coping with travel fatigue.

The band have toured Europe quite extensively with performances in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic and Denmark.  Several of these performances were at some of Europe’s leading festivals as well as tours which were set up by our German agents, Magnetic Music.  We have visited the USA to play at some of the large Festivals including performances in Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, New York, La Crosse and Kentucky. The USA market is particularly hard to break mainly due to the vastness of the country but Skerryvore are working hard at gaining more dates there and are actively seeking agents to set up longer tours.

Skerryvore feel very lucky to travel to so many different countries. Sometimes it’s only a short visit and most of the band’s time is spent in a hotel or on a stage, with little chance to experience what the city really has to offer. There are the odd occasions when there is more time to go out and do things, like standing on a glass ledge 1450ft up in the Sears Tower in Chicago or swimming with turtles in Turtle Reef in Oman.

3. What is the most enjoyable thing about touring abroad?

The most enjoyable thing about touring abroad is being able to see the world and learn about other peoples’ cultures. Skerryvore also enjoy educating people in Scottish and British culture and it’s amazing to find that you can be miles away from home but still have so much in common with people on a cultural and social level. It is amazing to see how the various cultures and people react differently to music.

For the most part, the band enjoy how they are treated abroad, both by audiences and by organizers, which is often ‘better’ – more professional – than in many UK venues.

4. Will you be doing anything differently for future bookings abroad?

Skerryvore are constantly learning about the best way to do things and every country has its own particularities.  One of the hardest things about touring abroad is making it financially viable for a band with six members.

The band has a number of agents that represent them in various parts of Europe. The main change in bookings for the US will hopefully be in gaining an agent over there. Several promoters have indicated that it would make the band much more bookable if the person they were dealing with was in the US.

Travelling can also bring up a few issues so you are constantly learning what is the best way to travel.

The band are learning every time they perform abroad. Having just returned from the USA, they are all aware of how their show can be improved to suit the American audiences more, not necessarily in terms of the music being performed but more how they, as a band, interact with the audience and each other to be more entertaining on stage. There’s a lot to learn from watching bands at some of the US festivals to see how they interact with the American audiences.

Merchandise needs to be tailored for different markets and it’s also important, for financial reasons, to think about having albums and merchandise produced there.

5. Based on this experience, what would you say is the single most important thing a new band must consider when embarking on their first tour abroad?

It’s hard to pick something which is the single most important thing. The legality of how bands enter certain countries, as well as how they pay tax on the money earned, are both very important. The US is particularly confusing to deal with in terms of entering the country and making sure that musicians don’t get left paying a ridiculous amount of tax on the money they may have earned. Seek good advice on what type of visa is needed because there are several, and make sure that earnings are declared correctly, or bands could find themselves in difficulties and even face a lengthy ban from entering the US.

A band’s music is the key aspect of any tour but be prepared that it might be completely new to the audience as they may never have heard the band before. Bands want people to remember them. Not for falling onto the stage drunk and not being able to play, but for performing to the best of their ability. Take time to talk to as many people as possible before and after the shows. Make sure people know the band’s name. Make sure there are plenty of materials to support the promotion of the show i.e. albums, posters, stickers, etc. It is important when playing to new audiences that bands are clearly promoting their name/logo/brand/etc – don’t be afraid to say it and don’t be afraid to punt merchandise as much as possible.

Make the most of every opportunity to watch other bands’ and musicians’ performances and use this to learn a lot about the type of crowds and their cultures, etc.

6. Anything you would like to add?

We couldn’t have done it without the support of Creative Scotland too. It’s a good idea to look at all the different funding sources available to you when you start out and to not be afraid of asking people who know about the industry for advice.

And it’s an amazing opportunity to perform abroad so grasp it with both hands. Give the best show you can and enjoy yourself – many people would bite your hand off to have the opportunity.

Thanks to Skerryvore for the really good advice.

You can find out more about Skerryvore at www.skerryvore.com and on Facebook and YouTube. For information contact info@skerryvore.com. All four of their albums are available on iTunes.

If you have any questions regarding this interview or any of the articles featured on Music Supported Here, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address them.

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The Team,
Music Supported Here

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Guest post by Emily White.

“We, as in the collective music industry, are here because of the talents of writers, artists, and performers; including many minds who excel in all of those areas and beyond.

I feel blessed to have come up in my career working directly with artists. I chose this path because I wanted to be closest to the source of making music as I thought the entire industry should stem from the artist’s point of view.

As we all know, in the pre-digital era, labels would pay for recording time, often owning the master in perpetuity. This still happens, and I understand why an investor would want some ownership in the master: although the recording wouldn’t exist without the talents of the artist, the master also wouldn’t exist without the help of the investor.

Note to artists: it’s 2012, if you don’t know much about Pro Tools or recording at home, please learn! This skill is invaluable to creating a long-term and sustainable career. Plus, the ability to record on your own is key to retaining master ownership and leveraging a better deal for yourself with partners.

However, even if you are a recording whiz, getting the perfect master often still requires additional musicians, (especially if you are a solo artist,) as well as an engineer and mastering engineer. If funds are an issue, often a label or investor will cover these costs so the recording can still happen. In this scenario, the master would not exist without the artist or investor. So why can’t ownership be 50/50?  Or if the investor must own the recording, I don’t understand why these rights can’t revert at some point.

Regardless, the industry is shifting to the artists’ favour since they can record and distribute on their own, though teams still help and every scenario is different.

There are artists like Zoe Keating, who record and release their music almost entirely by themselves.  Zoe records in her home studio and is well versed in code and technology. Because of this, Zoe understands how music and the Internet can not only work well together, but thrive. She saw how Twitter made sense long before it was the norm and played their offices because of it, which is how she became a “Recommended User” by the platform early on, eventually amassing over a million Twitter followers. Zoe knows the value and power of collecting emails and how a few pieces of choice press from NPR to Wire can help boost her music sales.  These sales all go directly to Zoe and her family; there are no barriers.

There are also artists such as Brendan Benson who are used to nothing but label systems. Brendan has released 4 solo albums with 4 different labels.  Despite working with passionate folks along the way who had the best of intentions, his music has never had a sustainable or consistent home.  Because Brendan is also a producer and extremely knowledgeable in recording, he can now produce and distribute not only his music, but also artists he works with through Readymade, a label and publishing company we recently launched that could not have happened a decade ago. Brendan would rather be spending his time in the studio than on the computer, but because the recording stems from him, for the first time in his career, he owns the master of his new album, What Kind of World, released this year.

In 2011, Urge Overkill self-released their first album in over a decade to show the world that they were back and intact as a killer rock band. Sydney Wayser released her epic album, Bell Choir Coast, this year after spending over two years perfecting it in every way.  In the coming months, Eric Burdon will put a new album out in a similar manner and he won’t be alone. I think classic rock artists and legends will be going this route more often than not as many have home studios and large, cult audiences. What do these artists and releases have in common? They are moving forward and assembling their teams as opposed to waiting for someone to come along and inheriting a staff. I think we all wish a dream team would fall out of the sky, and maybe it will. In the meantime, these artists will continue to create and release music on their own terms, much to their fans’ delight.

Morally, I’ve always believed the creators of art should own their rights and now, more and more, this is actually happening.

What do you think?”

Emily White is co-founder of Whitesmith Entertainment working with artists such as Brendan Benson, Sydney Wayser, The Hush Sound, Eric Burdon and Urge Overkill. Additionally, White co-founded Readymade Records this year with Benson, overseeing his What Kind of World release as well as albums from Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, Young Hines, and The Lost Brothers.

The post Why Musicians Owning Their Rights Is Becoming The Norm appeared first on Music Supported Here.

Since forming in the early 1990′s, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotlands roots revival. The band has developed its own trademark style with an energetic mix of songs and tunes. Dynamic percussion, polished vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes fuel the delicately-phrased melodies and traditional songs. Litha is a fantastic collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Claire Mann and award winning German duo Deitsch. 2012 will see them launch the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut ‘Until The Cows Come Home’.

As well as being an official accompanist for the BBC Young Traditional Scottish Musician of the Year Awards for several years, Aaron was voted Instrumentalist of the Year in a public vote at the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards.

With huge amounts of experience in touring both the UK and abroad. We caught up with Aaron Jones of Old Blind Dogs and Litha to get some valuable tips and advice on touring and to find out what it is really like to be in a touring band.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

My name in Aaron Jones and I have been a professional ‘folk’ musician for fifteen years. I am currently a full time member of the award winning Scottish band ‘Old Blind Dogs’ and also tour in a collaboration with German musicians called ‘Litha’. I also perform and record as a free lance musician and in 2012 I have worked with several bands and musicians including the Irish band ‘Teada’ (featuring Seamus Begley) and the fabulous English singer/songwriter ‘Kate Rusby’. My main instruments are ten-string bouzouki, acoustic guitar and vocals. Throughout most of my career I have been a Musicians Union member becoming more involved laterally as a committee member with the Folk, Roots and Traditional Section as well as my regional Scotland and Northern Ireland Section on which I still currently sit.

2. We understand that you tour abroad quite extensively. Can you share with us some of your experiences?

Since 1997 I have spent the vast majority of each year on the road. I have toured mostly in the USA performing in all but two of the States as well as touring extensively in Europe and Australia. Throughout the years of touring I have never ceased to be amazed at the kindness and helpfulness of strangers. I’m a great believer in travel karma – be good to travellers here and when you find yourself lost or stranded abroad it’ll come back to help you. Whether it’s been coping abroad with instruments broken by airlines, being grounded by volcanoes, finding yourself in the wrong part of town or falling ill, human kindness always seems to find you and get you through. I have the opportunity to travel and do what I love for a living so I find myself in a very lucky position and have made many long standing and solid friendships with promoters, agent and fellow musicians over the years.

3. What is the most enjoyable thing about touring abroad?

The opportunity to see new, interesting and beautiful places and meet and befriend incredible new people. It’s very important to remember that you are a cultural ambassador for your country and as a ‘traditional’ musician I have the opportunity to take my music and culture and perform it for people all over the place which is a real privilege. In return I often get the chance to immerse myself in other cultures and music which is a great perk of touring. I’ve played at the top of mountains, at 50 degrees in the middle of a desert, in vineyards at sunset and on the ocean… every new place and concert is still an exciting adventure after all these years touring. It doesn’t get much more enjoyable than that.

4. Will you be doing anything differently for future bookings abroad?

Over the years I have tried to streamline the booking processes and the admin – it’s the part all jobbing musicians hate. It’s been very useful to set up database driven programmes that allow you to keep track of where you’ve played and make notes on PA quality, fees, crowd response, logistical problems you encountered, good places to eat and stay and local radio and promotional opportunities so I would recommend doing that from the outset. I used to be below average when it came to accurate book keeping but touring has become a lot easier from a business perspective since I got on top of that. Keeping accurate records and accounts on the road makes life so much easier when you get home. Otherwise, it is important to remain ambitious. I’m always trying to think about how I can get those extra bums on seats, move up to the bigger venue up the road or break into new territories.

5. Based on this experience, what would you say is the single most important thing a new band must consider when embarking on their first tour abroad?

Make sure you play by the rules and obtain all the correct paperwork and visas. Too many artists grudge the up front overheads of touring whether it’s visas, travel or accommodation costs and many grudge filing tax returns and try to avoid them. One slip up in this regard and you can find yourself banned from working abroad – no matter how good or how famous you are – and it’s just not worth it. If you want to be treated like a professional, act like one. Keep accurate accounts and play by the rules abroad and the administration side of touring becomes a breeze and allows you to focus on and enjoy your performances and the places you visit.

6. Anything you would like to add?

Remember when abroad that you represent your country and your upbringing and act accordingly. It’s OK to be folk’n'roll now and again but if you want to be respected and taken seriously by promoters, agents and fans abroad then act and behave like a professional and everything will fall into place. Try to be articulate and friendly with all the people you meet and work with and they’ll remember you. Try to remember names at each venue and thank everyone. It pays to keep the sound engineer sweet too so make sure and learn few key soundcheck phrases if you’re travelling to somewhere where English is not the first language.

Thanks to Aaron for the really good advice. We wish you good luck for your forthcoming tour. Click for more information and music from Old Blind Dogs and for more on Litha.

If you have any questions regarding this interview or any of the articles featured, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address them.

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The Team,
Music Supported Here

The post Aaron Jones on touring – tips and advice appeared first on Music Supported Here.

Direct To Fan Marketing is an increasingly prevalent way for bands to reach people who like their music. Direct To Fan Marketing is a strategy for bands to talk directly to their fans, through the use of emerging, and increasingly mainstream, social technologies and social platforms. Let’s face it, writing a great song is the tough part but successfully marketing your music is a must if you want it heard among the crowded field of musicians vying for attention. As with most things, a little planning can go a long way towards helping you succeed.

When putting together a music marketing plan it is important to think through these questions before taking action:

What do your fans want?

This one is really pretty simple. First and foremost music fans are interested in music! Music fans are always seeking a new great song to fall in love with. If a fan has become interested enough to visit your website don’t disappoint them by not having music available for streaming, download and purchase on your site. ReverbNation provides several free music player options that can be embedded in a musician’s website making it easy for fans to stream music. Both Audiolife and Nimbit allow musicians to easily sell MP3’s directly from their own website in addition to merchandise, CD’s and DVD’s, without any upfront fees.

Once fans have developed an interest in a musicians’s music they might become interested in learning more about them as an individual or individuals. Make it easy for fans to keep up with the latest news and updates by prominently featuring an email list signup and RSS subscription link for the blog on the website. Fans may also want to connect on popular social networks. Be sure to display links to the social networks where you are active such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Fans want to see the musicians they enjoy play live shows. Regularly communicate the dates, show times and locations of all scheduled live shows on your website, through your email list, on your blog and social networks. ReverbNation also has free Show Schedule Widgets that include show dates and maps to help promote live shows.

What do you want to accomplish through your marketing efforts?

When considering what you want your marketing efforts to accomplish think more in terms of how you can develop a direct, long-term relationship with fans instead of just focusing on adding “X” number of email subscribers or Twitter followers this month.

Consistently give fans what they are interested in, great music and insight into the songs and creator(s), and they will reward you with their loyalty and support. In addition to sharing your best music, share your personal story, the inspiration for specific songs or your songwriting process through blog or video posts on your website. Ultimately, the goal is to develop relationships to the point where fans will want to buy your music, merchandise or tickets to your next show.

What are the priorities?

It seems like there are is an infinite number of options for marketing music these days and new solutions and companies are constantly popping up. It’s important to prioritize your efforts so you don’t end up trying to “do it all”. Here is my take on the top priorities for marketing your music:

Get a Website – If you are serious about a career as a musician you should own a url that includes your name (or bands name) and have your own website. If you don’t already have a website check out Bandcamp and Bandzoogle, they both provide full featured and inexpensive website solutions specifically for musicians.

Direct Marketing – Go sign up at ReverbNation. They offer an impressive set of free direct marketing tools for musicians, including email marketing, media players and electronic press kits, that can help drive traffic to your website and build relationships with fans. RN also provides detailed reporting that can help you better understand fan reaction to your music and marketing efforts.

Internet Radio – Internet radio providers such as Last.fm. Be sure to take advantage of the Internet Radio Opportunity for Independent Artists and get your music heard by new potential fans.

To read more on this article click here

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The Team,
Music Supported Here

[photo credit - The Italian Voice]

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