The Muzikal Revolution

Seeking Funding to Improve Communities

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:34:00 +0000

There are different opportunities for low-income communities to receive financial assistance through programs geared toward community innovation. This is very important because most low-income communities have not been properly educated on economics. There are different resources that will not only finance, but also provide education to help sustain and grow wealth in certain communities. For instance, a company called Oweesta, which is a subsidiary of First Nations, has a program that helps Native Americans become more financially aware. The curriculum teaches Native Americans to understand credit and checking/savings accounts and also helps develop a spending plan for communities.

The EDA or Economic Development Association funds different community projects in low-income areas that will help the community improve while creating employment. The EDA has different grants that target areas such as: PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE (EAA),and TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRMS. These are only a few programs that EDA funds for community economic growth.

Although there are many helpful programs, there are rules and stipulations to gain access to these funds. For instance EDA has a Competitive Selection Framework, which states that "all projects will be assessed against EDA's strategic priorities and evaluated by an investment review committee where EDA professionals will analyze and recommend proposals to the EDA Regional Director for that quarter's available funding". When applying for these grants there are priorities pre-existing, which means not all projects, will be funded.

Oweesta only helps build Native American economics and is not for all ethnic groups. This a disadvantage for other groups in need of the same assistance. However there are programs that are not so exclusive, for instance the Opportunity Finance Network helps financial institutions operating in low-income areas. This type of alternative funding can help the community as a whole. It makes it easier for low-income individuals get loans, especially those affected by predatory loans, which can improve the state of communities. Although these are great programs there are advantages and disadvantages to each one and applying for funding for them has to be strategic.

There is a lot of information on these various programs that will educate individuals on economics. There are books that can be ordered and links for more evaluation of economic development. There is also information about different trainings and workshops at different locations. Each website gives background, history and policies for their company. They also provide testimonies and articles from those who benefitted from the programs. These websites provides many resources for research, which helps with the process of funding.

~Gigi

http://www.eda.gov/ 

http://www.oweesta.org/ 

My Business Plan Expert Review pt.2

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:12:00 +0000

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Business Plan Lesson from expert William A. Cohen

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:53:00 +0000

Business Plan Lesson from expert Willam A. Cohen

My class this month is Business Plan Development and for my blog this week, I will concentrate on building the best business plan. The video I want to focus on is from VideoJug.com, with expert William A. Cohen breaking down the business plan and the major key components of the plan. I can admit that the term "business plan" initially can be intimidating. What I am starting to see is that its just liking learning how to do anything else, it takes practice. Writing your business plan is just like writing an amazing book biography of your business, it takes research and dedication. This is a map to your business vision, so it has to be clear, exciting and really demonstrates why your business is the best choice to invest in. These are some of the helpful tips I am learning along my journey of building “the best business plan”.

#1 Just Get Started

Most of the issues with not having a business plan is that you never start it. You can read the blogs and buy the books that teach you how to build your plan but until you actually start doing it, you’re just wasting your time.

#2 Allow Yourself Mistakes

The great thing about creating your business plan is that you get a chance to see your issues on paper before you get the business up and going. It’s better to loose $20,000 on the planning paper than doing operating hours.

#3 Research and Draft, Research and Draft

The more you know about the industry you’re trying to building a business within, the better off your company will be. Once you compile your research, draft this information into your plan to the pros and cons before venturing into that business. You can never have too much research. You can never have too many planning drafts. Create as many as it takes, until you are certain all areas of concern have been covered.

#4 Give it some time

Great business plans are not created overnight. It will take time to research the competition and even more time to study the habits of the industry itself. Creating a quick plan, can lead to costly mistakes and even cause you to loose out on potential investors. Taking your time will pay off in the end, because you will have a plan that you really believe it.

One key point that I took away from William A. Cohen is the most important part of the business plan is the executive summary. I understand this concept more now after formulating the draft for my business plan this week. The executive summary is the first page potential investors will see so this has to be the place where creativity, facts and sales pitch put on a good show. I’m starting to see the big picture and by the end of this class, I will have one of the best business plan investors have ever seen. Good luck to you as well.

http://www.videojug.com/interview/business-plans

Video Jug. (2011). Business Plans with William A. Cohen. Retrieved August 7, 2011, from http://www.videojug.com/interview/business-plans

~Gigi

Critique my blog ~ Digital or Traditional Networking and Why you need it

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:24:00 +0000

Fill out my form!

Digital or Traditional Networking and Why you need it

This month, my graphics company, MD Studios and Productions, had the pleasure of creating several promo videos for the upcoming stage play “Stripped”. My group Mahogany Dust, are also the musical features for the play as well, so we have been networking, both traditionally and digitally or the last 3 weeks. So for this blog post, I decided to really dive into the concept of traditional and digital networking. I read this article Networking: Traditional vs. Digital by dotcomweavers.com, that also gave some very interesting points on this topic.

Networking: Traditional vs. Digital

Regardless of what you do or what you aspire to become, you will have to engage in some form of networking. Whether it’s the traditional networking, meaning you attend a meet and greet and you exchange business cards or through the popular streams of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Traditional Networking
Traditional networking has it advantages because you actually get to match a face with a name and business and you get a chance to really display your passions and your intentions on your business or business idea. In this form of networking, it helps people to remember you when you really need to contact someone to help you along your journey to being established in whatever field you decided to venture into. The disadvantages are that you spend time and some times lots of money attending networking events just to establish your contacts and you may or may not meet someone that is within your industry.

Digital Networking
Digital Networking also has it advantages because first, you are not limited by time. Using the networking tools of Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn allows you to view profiles and interest to narrow down the people you actually want to network with. These services are free, which is a win-win in any business and you can reach millions in a short period of time. You can create like-minded groups within these sites as well, to share information and inside secrets. One disadvantage is that you have to post constantly and participate within these sites in order to maintain your contacts. Another disadvantage is the lack of face-to-face interaction, which can make some feel uncomfortable when engaging in online sharing. Because these sites are free, it’s possible to network with individuals that are attempting to steal personal and private information. There are individuals that run scams and will post untrue information within their profiles for malicious intent.

Why you must Network
Traditional and digital networking has advantages and disadvantages; however, it is something you must do in order to see your business thrive. Both are necessary and having a healthy balance of the two can improve your overall agenda. Attend networking events that are specifically in your industry and join online groups that meet regularly to share ideas within the business. Whichever method you choose, stay connected to your contacts by sending emails or connection messages monthly.

http://www.dotcomweavers.com/blog/2011/03/03/networking-traditional-vs-digital/

"The Voice" is BIG Competition for "American Idol"

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:42:00 +0000

The Voice & American Idol
This weekend, I discovered an interesting article focusing on the stats from the new reality music series called “The Voice” versus the popular series “American Idol”. The Voice is similar to American Idol, but the show focuses more on the contestant’s voice rather than their appearance. In the beginning of the series the four judges, Cee-Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Blake Sheldon were in competition to get the best singers on their team and have the teams compete in a series of “sing offs”. The judges’ chairs were turned away from the stage while the contestants sang. If one of the judges liked the contestant’s voice, they hit a button and the chair turned around meaning that the judge wants them on their team. If more than one judge turned around then the contestant had to choose what judge they wanted to work with.

Who Won the Billboard Chart Battle?
In my opinion this was a very nice twist on the traditional music reality shows and in this article, 'American Idol' Vs. 'The Voice': Who Won the Billboard Chart Battle, the numbers prove that many others feel the same. American Idol is running it’s 10th season and the winner this year was, Scott McCreery whose first week download sales were 171,00 for the song entitled, “I Love You This Big”. The runner up was Lauren Alaina and her song “Like My Mother Does”, had 121,000 downloads in the first week. Both of them combined had a total of 292,000 downloads. The winners of “The Voice”, was Javier Colon who had 145,000 downloads in the first week for the song, “Stitch by Stitch”. The runner up was Dia Frampton and her single, “Inventing Shadows”, was downloaded 137,000 times in the first week. So the combined total of downloads was 282,000. There was only a 10,000 difference between the two and this is amazing because this is only the first season the “The Show”. The judges on, “The Voice” outsold the judges on “Idol” when it came their released singles. Christina Aguilera and Blake Sheldon outsold Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler 352,000 to 277,000 with sales increases of (100+)%.

The Voice versus American Idol on TV Views
These numbers prove that people are definitely tuning into, “The Voice” but “American Idol” still dominates the new show with 26.2 million viewers vs. 13.3 million for “The Voice”. These statistics shows a shift in the way music is being sold today and reality music shows are gaining the numbers much faster than traditional trends.

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/tv-film/american-idol-vs-the-voice-who-won-the-1005268192.story

Using Social Networking Sites as Marketing Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 02:13:00 +0000

Using Social Networking Sites As Marketing Tools
"How to Utilize Social Media Tools for Your Company
Curtesy of YouTube & Mahalo.com
Jena Andres interviews Kate Gardiner

The Internet today has become the number one way consumer’s access new music, read the latest news and purchase the latest gadgets. For this reason, it is very important to have a presence on branded social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc., so that consumers see your brand frequently. When establishing a social presence, it is important that the content you share is of high quality and reflects the image and message that the brand wants to represent. If you are a small business owner who has yet to embrace social networking, now is definitely the time to put that vehicle in motion.

When it comes to the best networking tools for startup companies, business professionals favor Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as the top sites. In the video I attached below, Jena Andres of Mahalo.com interviewed web strategist Kate Gardiner, who stated, “In my opinion, you must have an aggressive appearance on Facebook and Twitter as well as LinkedIn”(Youtube, 2011). Joining these media streams and using them can be the edge your business needs to stand out among competitors.

Social networking platforms set the stage for building relationships with people who share the same interests, activities and personal contacts. This also means social networking also enable business, both big and small, to invite audiences to get to know their brands in non-traditional ways of marketing or advertising.

It is important to research, study and decided what sites are best for your particular type of business. Before opening any accounts and becoming an active member, consider how your business can profit from the sites resources. It is also important to have a strategic marketing plan and analyze the marketing vehicle of the major companies within your industry. Analyze your current social media strategy, your targeted audience and how it can possibly be improved. Without this plan, you could find yourself wasting time and joining sites that are not meeting the needs of your business.

YouTube. (2011). How to Utilize Social Media Tools for Your Company. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgm7HX4gS7A

The Basics of Self-Releasing your Music Album

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:53:00 +0000

The Basics of Self-Releasing your Music Album

You’ve finished the album and now you’re ready to release it. But before you start, it is important to know how independent musicians sell their music, how it works, and what are the pros and cons of choosing each option. By researching, you can develop your own opinion and choose which one is best for the direction you are seeking with your music. These are some of the helpful tips I learn along my journey of self-releasing two independent albums.

Tip number #1 is to be accessible. You have to look at your product just as you would any other major product. If you sell ketchup you should want your brand of ketchup to be in every store that sells ketchup. Your ultimate goal is to make it possible for people to find, whenever they are searching for your type of music, especially at their preferred store, but also at a specific location for your fans. There are several digital stores being created monthly. A select few will succeed, while others will be force to shut down. Stay alert for the best ones and stay true to those that best suit your music and audience.

Tip number #2 is to have an impressive website. Your website should be just as unique and intriguing as your music. Providing great content such as new music snippets, live video performances and a personal blog will ensure that your fans will spend time on your site learning more about you and becoming a bigger fan. Also provide access for your fans to purchase your music directly from your site or sites where they can download your music.

Tip number #3 is to be interactive. The rise of the computer age has brought fourth a new way of socialization. Because of the type of technology we have today, it is very easy to build a fan base by building a strong presence on the top social networking sites. According to eBizmba.com the top three sites are listed as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which are all great resources for building fan base and great business connections. After setting up accounts on these sites, it is very important that you stay connected and post frequently. The more you post and share with your fans, the more involved they become in being apart of your journey.

My last and final tip, number #4, is to research and read. Technology changes daily and it is important to grow within the industry and grow with your fan-base. As we discover these new technologies, research them and become apart of the movement. As I mentioned above, being accessible is very important. The only way to truly be accessible is to know all the avenues possible for maximum exposure.

eBIZMBA. (2011) Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Websites. Retrieved June 18, 2011 http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites

Industry Expert Blog: Podcast Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 30 May 2011 03:02:00 +0000

Industry Expert Blog: Podcast Reviews

The first podcast entitled “YouTube, MyTake” is from Intellectual Property Colloquium and is hosted by UCLA School of Law professor, Doug Lichtman. In this podcast, Lichtman discuss the lawsuit of Viacom v. Google. Lichtman is also an advisor for Viacom, which encouraged this podcast after he complied excerpts from both arguments of Viacom and Google.

Viacom’s argument is that Google is liable for copyright infringement due to its’ YouTube site allowing users to post copyrighted works without prior authorization. Viacom point is that Google is liable under both common and statutory law based on the business model they created and gained profits. Viacom sited the case of MGM Studios v. Grokster, in which the Court found Grokster liable of secondary liability doctrine because they provided their users software that contributed to the infringement. Viacom further argues that YouTube failed to use fingerprinting filtering technology and YouTube itself also participated in the unlawful reproduction of works and performances that they distributed to their third party affiliates. Although YouTube did not provide their users software, Viacom holds YouTube responsible because they profited from “Truckloads” of infringing videos.

Google believe they are not liable because they fall under the DMCA’s Safe Harbor provision, which does not hold the web site operator liable for content that is posted by its users, as long as the content is removed once notified by the rights-holder. The DMCA provision also does not require the site owners to monitor content. Therefore, Google does not have to incorporate a filtering technology although they have developed a fingerprinting system to minimize copyrighted material off their site.

I do believe that Google is responsible for their business practices; however I think this lawsuit is slightly frivolous. Some excerpts from this podcast and within this case show that Viacom had authorized clips to be uploaded to Youtube for the purpose of marketing and had also allowed some content that was uploaded illegally by users to remain on the site. Also, Viacom attempted to purchase YouTube, which confirm at one time they thought YouTube was a great investment, despite its reputation for building a business on piracy. With this information, is this lawsuit really due to copyright infringement or a lawsuit of bitterness for not being able to purchase the piracy giant?

The second podcast “Can content survive online?” is also from Intellectual Property Colloquium and ties into this subject. Brad Smith, General Counsel of Microsoft, Scott Martin, Executive VP of Paramount and Dan Cooper, VP of Business and Legal Affairs of MySpace, join Lichtman to discuss the struggling industries of music, motion pictures and publishing and the replacing of old mechanisms for new business models. Cooper discussed user content principles by incorporating filtering and takedown tools for unauthorized content. I like the idea that MySpace has added copyright school for its content users that have been blocked by filters or had their accounts deleted due to infringement.

The third podcast “Intellectual property for professional creators” is hosted by Chris Castle and in this podcast he talks with Songwriters Guild President Rick Carnes about current copyright issues. Carnes speaks on the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act that will give the Department of Justice tools to take down websites related to piracy. Carnes states this bill is good for consumers because it will free bandwidth is being overloaded by unauthorized content downloading, which is “clogging up the pipes”. I believe just as Carnes that this bill will not stop piracy, however, I do believe that this will slow down the number of websites that allow unauthorized uploads and illegal downloads, allowing artist to make a living doing what we love to do.

Apple iTunes: YouTube, MyTake
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/intellectual-property-colloquium/id294158352

http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2004/2004_04_480

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2007/05/google-cites-safe-harbor-fair-use-in-viacom-v-youtube-defense.ars

Apple iTunes: Can Content Survive Online
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/can-content-survive-online/id294158352?i=61743588

Apple iTunes: MusicTechPolicy.com Podcast: Intellectual Property for
Professional Creators - Songwriters Guild President Rick Carnes
http://itunes.apple.com/bw/podcast/musictechpolicy-com-podcast/id392020035

Intellectual Property Rights and The People Who Violate Them

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:32:00 +0000

Intellectual Property Rights and The People Who Violate Them.
By: Gigi Dowell

This month’s class is in Advance Entertainment Law and our area of focus for this week is on Intellectual Property rights. In my first article, “Intellectual Property Issues in Music” by Scott Palmer, touched on several IP cases from John Fogerty of the former band CCR being accused of IP infringement against him self to other well-know cases as Vanilla Ice vs. Queen and David Bowie and the biggest case of them all Metallica vs. Napster. Napster was the new musical revolution that spawned the file-share downloading industry and provided thousand of fans long-lost music of their favorite artists. In this case Napster was issued a lawsuit due to a discovered leak of the Metallica song “I Disappear”, which was soundtrack of the due to release Mission Impossible II movie. Metallica sued Napster for copyright infringement, unlawful use of digital audio interface device and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) (Palmer, 2010). Some would argue that this case was the end of music industry. I say, this IP case started a movement and sent a message to the record labels and artists that there is a huge need for new ways to access music.

My second article on the topic of Intellectual Property is a case study on Apple TV and iTunes. In 2007, Apple was hit with two lawsuits over the copyright infringement that included the artistic rights of a photographer and a song resembling a previous recording in 1979(AfterDawn, 2007). Within the first lawsuit, Apple TV was in negotiation with photographer, Louis Psihoyos, on his idea of a “video wall”. The negotiation deal was never settled, however, Apple TV was using this concept for advertisement of their Apple TV unit. In my opinion, this is a classic case of an idea being swiped by a large corporation. When presenting an idea to anybody, especially those who you are attempting to do business with, it is important to have the meeting party sign agreements of confidentiality in order to prevent a violation of rights.

The second civil lawsuit complaint against iTunes involved Avril Lavigne’s smash hit single “Girlfriend”. It was stated to be a copy of a song written by James Gangwer and Tommy Dunbar in 1979, entitled “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”. This case has the potential to be an issue with the actual artist rather than on iTunes. If Avril Lavigne were listed as the songwriter of the new song, you would think that she was at fault or at least the record company. ITunes was slated as being “an acting catalyst for music infringement” (AfterDawn, 2007). This claim I don’t agree with, because being a music seller through iTunes, it is up to the Artist, Artist Management or the record companies to make sure they acquire permissions and waivers in order to sample and or use other artist’s music.

The last article I chose for this discussion of Intellectual Property is an article acquired from Legal Zoom.com entitled “Top 5 Intellectual Property Disputes”. Legal Zoom.com was founded in 2001 and is an Internet source for easy to use legal forms as well as instant access to information on common legal matters. In this article, they highlighted the top 5 intellectual property issues listed in and out of the cyber world. This list included another lawsuit involving Napster with the RIAA, the case of Amazon’s 1-click patent and Google Trademark Keywords. Amazon patent the one step buying process and issued an infringement lawsuit against Barnes and Nobles, only after one month of receiving their patent. Barnes and Nobles also had an “Express Lane” technology, however, Amazon was the first to get the patent. This situation was truly first come, first serve. Since Amazon was the first to get the patent, they had the intellectual rights to demand that another company within the same market of competition release their technology.

With the rise of the Internet and it being the vital source for information on just about any and everything, we can expect infringements of Intellectual Property being an issue of concern. Intellectual Property is very important in order to preserve the legacy of the artistic craft, with the person or persons responsible for creating it. Knowing our creative rights and the rules and regulations on using the rights of others, we can start to figure a way to evolve into a new and improve way of satisfying the needs of content providers and content consumers.

AfterDawn. (2007). Apple is sued over artistic copyright infringement. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2007/07/08/apple_is_sued_over_artistic_copyright_infringement

Digital Enterprise. (2007) Case Study: ITunes Store. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from http://digitalenterprise.org/cases/itunes.html

Legal Zoom. (2009). Top 5 Intellectual Property Disputes. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.legalzoom.com/intellectual-property-rights/intellectual-property-basics/top-5-intellectual-property-disputes

Palmer,S. (2010). Intellectual Property Issues in Music. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from
http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writling/professional/TechWrite/7-1/palmer/index.html

The Artist Manager's Role ~ Interview with Jeff Dorenfeld

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:01:00 +0000

Since this is the last day of my Project and Artist Management Class, I decided to focus this blog specifically on artist management. I was very interested in the interview of Jeff Dorenfeld on Artist Manager Role since he has been in the business for several years and even managed multiplatinum band Boston.

(Interview conducted By Berklee College of Music's instructor George Howard. He interviews the former personal manager of the multi-platinum band Boston, Jeff Dorenfeld, about the role of artist managers.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTmYPVtU0U

After watching this interview it made me ponder on management and the current state of managers versus manager’s in the so-called great days of the music industry. If it’s been said 100 times let me repeat it one more time, like everything else in the world, music is changing and so is the inner working of the music industry. Back in the dinosaur days of music, managers just like the labels, was invested in the artist from start to finish and even was responsible for how the artist developed. Now, it’s not seen as a good investment to take on an artist that has not develop a steady fan- base or a strong web presence because of the lack of development funding, since the rise of privacy and the decline of CD sales.

Today, instead of manager’s seeking out record deals, they are looking for ways to keep the artist working and maintaining a steady income through alternative revenue steams instead of just touring and concerts, (i.e. publishing deals and sync licensing).

Managing today is helping your artist build a brand and brand equity in order to create leverage and start a bidding war to increase the artist percentages and control leverage within the artist strategic contractual partnership. With the new technologies within the Internet, such as Youtube, Vimeo, Blogger, Facebook and Twitter you and your artist can spend the same time and hours spent sending materials to record labels and A&R’s, creating business development deals to get ahead.

Learning the business as an artist creates huge amount of mental and emotional control in this rocky business of the entertainment industry. Being educated also from a manager’s point of view will create a greater understanding of the process involved in artist management and also has the potential to create a better working relationship. This creates understanding for what is needed and required of you as the artist and you as the management and management team. Those who take time to learn and follow these new Entertainment Business fundamental will assist and head the paradigm way into the 23 century of Music.

Through the eye's of a Legend~ Interview with Quincy Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:25:00 +0000

In the eye’s of a Legend~ Interview with Quincy Jones
Conducted by: Charlie Rose

I was very inspired by this interview with Quincy Jones by Charlie Rose. It is amazing to hear the words of someone who has been in the music industry for over 56 years and worked with a huge list of successful artist. This interview was a reflection of the career of Quincy Jones and it was really inspiring to hear what he experienced and the lessons learned. He shared inspirational quotes that helped him along in his career. For example, he mentioned a doctor in Sweden that shared the quote, “Love, laugh, live and give”. He also quoted his neighbor saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”.

Quincy has a new album book called, “Q on Producing”, which talks about how important the relationship is between the artist and producer. He stated that, “Its about love first and then trust”. He knew how important it was for an artist to feel comfortable and also how to maintain a great relationship with producers on his team. He also has a new album called, “Soul Bossa Nostra”, which was produced by rapper, Timberland. Quincy talked about how years ago how Timberland told him that the Hip Hop community wanted to do a tribute to some of his songs. He says, “This album has everyone on it from Snoop Dog to Amy Winehouse”, and that “This was the first time I did an album with no hands on it”. He was very flattered by this album and was honored by the gesture of the Hip Hop community.

When Quincy was asked about the rap industry today, he mentioned, “I was on a passionate campaign for a definitive curriculum for the school systems of America”. It’s great to see someone with so much history in music, recognize the importance of music in education. It’s a fight that has resulted in the lost of the arts in most of our educational programs. This is a very important cause for me as well, because I perform for various schools and I see the positive effects of music and self-expression on the energy of the children.

When I think about Quincy Jones, I think of someone who is as versatile as a painting, forever being constructed. Quincy Jones is a master composer, able to hear and feel every rhythm. He has seen the evolution of music and has contributed to some of the best song in this world. He is definitely someone I look up to in this industry and I can’t wait until I too get the chance to sit down and compose a masterpiece with this legend.

~Gigi Dowell

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11316

My Connection with Lisa Nichols

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Professional Interview – Lisa Nichols

This weekend, I had the pleasure of performing at the Women of Wealth (W.O.W.) Conference in Atlanta, GA and it was truly a life changing experience. This conference was filled very successful entrepreneurs and 90 of the most powerful and influential women in the world. The speakers included Dr. Georgette Bennett (President of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding), Pilar Mendiola Fernandez(Senior Vice President at The Washington Center and Writer), George C. Fraser(Chairman & CEO of FraserNet, Inc - Best-selling Author, Speaker), Heidi Shoup (President of World Affairs Council, D.C.), Bill Walsh (Venture Capitalist, Marketing Expert and International Entrepreneur), and Lisa Nichols (CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit, LLC, Best-selling Author (No Matter What!), Public Speaker, Powerful Coach) (Global Summitt, 2011).

After the conference was over, I, along with a few other attendees of the conference, was given the opportunity to sit down for an hour and talk with Lisa Nichols. She is a motivator, best-selling world-renowned author, a powerful mentor and coach and a beautiful spirit. Her participation in the self-development phenomenon, The Secret, created popularity for Lisa throughout the world. One of her best sellers include “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and she has made several television appearances on shows such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Extra and NBC’s Emmy Nominated show “Starting Over”.

During her up-close and personal conversation with us, she coached everyone on the importance of controlling negative emotions. Lisa talked to us about how everyone of us has the ultimate control over our lives and our emotions. How we consciously and unconsciously place orders into the universe, both negative and positive. Lisa shared that most important concept to adopt in any situation or negotiation is asking the question, “Why am I here and what can I learn”.

This concept is very important because the more positive emotions one has the smoother negotiation becomes. It is also important to know what your goals are in negotiating and how to strategically reach them because creating positive emotions and planning properly makes goals easier achieve. Even if your goal is not totally achieved, you have learned what to do and what not to do to reach the goal when the next opportunity arises.

To some, the concept of “The Secret” is an unrealistic fantasy, but it has some truth to it. For example, if you go into negotiation already thinking that this deal is not going to go your way, then your emotions and actions will reflect your thoughts. At this point you have increased the probability of an unsuccessful negotiation. Researching what you are negotiating and constructing a plan builds confidence and optimistic thinking, which are both positive emotions. We use this concept everyday unconsciously and this could be a benefit in negotiating. This is a different method of controlling emotions to reach a targeted goal. There is nothing magical about this concept; it only manipulates thought process.

Attached video “First 30 Days – Lisa Nichols Interview on Change Nation”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4sH3-eH9zs&feature=related
http://www.wowglobalsummit.com/speakers.php

Warner Music up for Bid

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:04:00 +0000

This week's blog is on an interesting article about Warner Music accepting bids to sell the company. Warner Music is a in debt at an astounding $1.9billion and hired Goldman Sachs to seek out investors for purchase of EMI. KKR has previously had discussions about purchasing EMI along with Warner, but soon after decided purchase Warner outright. KKR is involved with Bartelsmann media group and plans to expand business ventures with the purchase of Warner. One option that Goldman suggested was to sell only the publishing division of Warner, Warner/Chapelle. They are hoping to gain capital from the sale in order to purchase EMI who is financed by Citigroup. EMI is in danger of because they were unable to meet the loan agreement from the bank.

This article is evident that the music industry is in serious need of rearranging. Because records sales have plunged in the last 10 years, the investors have opportunities to purchase publishing, which are valuable assets. Because of piracy among teenagers, the music industry is profiting only half of what was a decade ago. As a result of this, music rights are up for grabs and now this article is proves how much danger the music industry faces.

As an independent musician this really opens my eyes to what direction is the most secure for me to venture into. In the past independent musicians flocked to the record labels for potential fame. In the past record labels had all the contacts and exposure needed to create successful artists, but now it is easier than ever for independent artists to market themselves. If independent artists learn proper ways of capitalizing on their music, the industry will fall farther. Youtube and other social media has put control back in the artists’ hands and forced record labels to gain more capital through 360 deals.

I feel that the selling of Warner Music and EMI is only the beginning of what is to come in this rapidly changing industry. In analyzing the market I feel that the major distribution companies will be doing the same thing in a couple of years, putting more control of music in the hands of the artists.

Guardian. (2011) EMI Warner Music Group Goldman Sachs Hired. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/21/emi-warner-music-group-goldman-sachs-hired

Digital Music News. (2011) WMG Leverage. Retrieved February 20, 2011, from http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/111710wmgleverage

This Money. (2011) Warner Music Ready to receive bids. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=523238&in_page_id=3&position=moretopstories

Warner Music ready to receive bids
By Jon Rees
20 February 2011, 2:01pm

Bids for Warner Music, one of the world's top four music firms, are expected to be submitted this week.

The company, home to artists like Lily Allen and Frank Sinatra, has hired Goldman Sachs to study its options, which are understood to include a sale of all or part of the business.

However, it has also asked the bank to consider whether Warner itself could buy EMI, now under the control of investment bank Citigroup.

Citigroup seized EMI, whose artists include Kylie Minogue and Coldplay, this month from private equity firm Terra Firma.

Citigroup did so after it appeared that EMI would be unable to meet the terms of its loan from the bank.

It is understood that at least 20 companies are set to put indicative bids for Warner, though the leading bidder is likely to be private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

KKR, which already owns music publisher Chrysalis through its BMG publishing joint venture with Germany's Bertelsmann, is likely to be particularly interested in Warner's music publishing arm, Warner Chappell.

This manages the rights to songs including Happy Birthday To You and hits by Madonna and Katy Perry.

A sale could allow Warner chief executive Edgar Bronfman to use the funds raised to make a bid for EMI, which is estimated to be worth up to £2bn, and merge their recorded music arms while keeping EMI's publishing business.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=523238&in_page_id=3#ixzz1EXK8mJFC

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=523238&in_page_id=3&position=moretopstories

The Future of Music

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:39:00 +0000

This week's blog is from a great article I found called, Industry News: Colbert Enlists Band In “Sell Out” to Madison Avenue. This blog was about Steve Colbert, a political comedian, and who host the “The Colbert Report”. This segment was him filling out a Grammy Nominee form. When he started to vote for best alternative music album, he decided to vote on one of two bands called, “Black Keys” and “Vampire Weekend”. He invited the two bands for a “Showdown” of who had more songs in commercial advertisement. The two started to vocalize diverse commercial that their songs were associated with. Companies like Tommy Hilfiger, Honda, Hewlett-Packard, etc.

This video showcased where music is headed in the near future. Since record sales are at an all-time low, independent artists are starting to find alternative ways to receive income for their music. This is a very important turn in the music industry and is starting to turn the tables in the artists’ favor. Because of these types of avenues, record companies are starting to have artists’ sign 360 deals, where the record companies are making revenue from all sources of income from the artist instead of depending on only CD sales. 360 deals sounds scary for an artist because now the record companies has their hand in all sources of revenue and I feel this could get very confusing and intense later. Independent artists have all the tools needed for effective branding and shouldn’t have to resort to submitting to record companies when avenues like social media and YouTube are available.

Contracting music from independent artists’ evens the playing field when it comes to the music industry. There are so many doors opening for independent artists and this blog proves that contracting your music can be very beneficial when it comes to corporate advertisement.

Music Dealers. (2011) Industry News Colbert Enlists Bands in Sell Out to Madison Avenue. Retrieved February 5, 2011, from http://www.musicdealers.com/blog-entry/2011/1/14/industry-news-colbert-enlists-bands-in-sell-out-to-madison-avenue

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MIDEM: THE DESTINATION FOR MUSIC BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:53:00 +0000

MIDEM sponsors a music conference that showcases the world’s music market that provides all the need-to-knows about the music industry. MIDEM provides a venue to conduct award ceremonies and is in combination with Midem Net, a conference that provides intuitive analysis into the mobile and digital music markets. MIDEM sees itself primarily a marketplace, thus the artists that are presented are those running their own enterprises or those invited to promote entertainment and music companies. Major record labels and music companies dominate the scene at MIDEM. MIDEM music conference events also consist of the International Indie Summit.

Simultaneously, MIDEM conferences is one of the best places to license and discover music, find solutions, make deals, keep up-to-date on industry trends and meet people that may renovate your business with new ideas of opportunity on a global scale. MIDEM is known as the place to find the best music content, globally. MIDEM is also the place to sell music to the largest community of buyers within the industry. It is medium to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the latest technology and new ways of marketing and distributing music. MIDEM has taken a mission to help music professional to do more business and to better plot a route to the future of the music business. President Ron Spaulding of Fontana Distribution stated, “Personally, I think it’s the best music conference in the world…. For networking, for building partnerships…and for branding your company across the globe” (Midem, 2011).

MIDEM provides a proficient blog (MIDEMBlog) that provides infinite opportunities to expand your music business connections, expand music business knowledge and professional networks within the music business. The purpose of MIDEMblog is to exchange music industry knowledge to promote debates on key industry issues. MIDEM is important to the industry because it provides a direct link between key music industry professionals and those interested in being apart of the industry by being an artist or one who has a drive to work in the industry. MidemNet Academy is a helpful and distinct digital training program that can help grow businesses in the new digital music world. This program is designed to be extremely interactive and with high profile experts providing presentations and volunteering their knowledge to provide much needed words of advice that can be applied to whatever your niche is within the music industry.

MIDEM-MIDEMNET 2011 - Video - MIDEM

MIDEM (2011). Clients Voice. Retrieved January 30, 2011, from http://www.midem.com/en/homepage/why-midem-midemnet/music/

MIDEM BLOG. (2011) Midem Blog. Retrieved January 30, 2011, from
http://blog.midem.com

Conversation with Daniel Miller (Mute) & Glen Barros (Concord) - MIDEM 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCIGoOCiV9o

The Power of Video on Globalization

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:28:00 +0000

The focus for this blog, I decided to dedicate it towards video innovation and how it has an affects on us on a global level. With video media streams such as Cisco, Skype, YouTube, Vimeo and Viddler, the world is increasingly becoming more and more connected. No matter what desire or interest you may have, there is probably more information on it than you can consume at one time frame. As the Internet and social networking sites continue to grow, so does video content because there is always that need to share visually as well as verbally.

I choose the video "How web video powers global innovation" from TED.com presented by Chris Anderson a speaker and the new leader of TED. I choose this video because taking my company to the next level by going global is one of my top 5 goals for my entertainment business. This speech made me more aware of just how close I am to achieving this goal. Anderson speaks on the phenomenon he refers to as “Crowd Accelerated Innovation” in which you need a crowd of people that share a universal interest, visibility of capability and the desire to learn, research and practice. The way we are connected today as compare to before the wave of the Internet, show us just how much more we are connected globally. Our interest and cultures is being share on a daily basis through many types video mediums. This speech was very inspiring to me because for the first time, I can visually see how connected we really are. No longer is there a need to visit countries globally to look for that crowd that shares a common interest for what it is that you desire. Just by using the marketing streams that have already been created, you can shine a light on what you are the best at and let the crowds decide and draw themselves to you. Anderson expressed his passion about TED idea of openness and being “part of the crowd that may be about to launch the biggest learning cycle in human history, a cycle capable of carrying all of us to a smarter, wiser and more beautiful place”. We all feel this change that’s happening all around us and it’s something we all welcome with open arms.

Chris Anderson: How Web Video Powers Global Innovation.

Courtesy of TED.com

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

Focus on Customer Satisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:40:00 +0000

For this week’s blog, I decided to dedicate it towards customer satisfaction. Last Saturday, my group Mahogany Dust performed for a house warming party. One of the customer’s that purchase a CD contacted the group to let them know that her CD wasn’t working properly. This is a call that no company looks forward to receiving however, in dealing with products, there is always flukes. Mahogany Dust has not received this type of call, however MD takes pride in its reputation and customer satisfaction. Mahogany Dust offered to meet her at her time of convenience to replace the damage product. Not only did Mahogany Dust replace the damaged product, they also gave a complementary second disk of their second album and a poster at no charge for any inconveniences of receiving the damage product.

The video I chose for this week completely backs the statement above. “Your Key to Customer Satisfaction” is a video on customer satisfaction by John Tschohl, president of Service Quality and the first person to bring us the world’s first customer service training program. The idea that set itself apart in this video is “Treating your customers like Kings and Queens”. With this concept, you will have loyal people who will be your word of mouth advertising. Your customers will speak very highly of you and your service, which will create verbal recommendations anytime your type of service, is needed. Another vital resource is the book “The 48 Laws of Power” Law#5, which states “so much depends on your reputation, guard it with your life”(Greene, 1998). Your reputation is a huge apart of who and what you are and it is the mere fabric and brand that makes people recognize you. Learning how to implement great customer satisfaction in your business to use as a great tool to build your reputation and brand will lead to your path of success. Enjoy the blog this week! ~ Gigi

References:

Greene, R. (1998) The 48 Laws of Power. New York, New York. Penguin Group 1998

YouTube. (2010). Your Key to Customer Satisfaction Video 1 Service First. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrGL2R8J0i4

Courtesy of ServiceFirstVideo.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrGL2R8J0i4

Building a Team Without Dysfunction

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:26:00 +0000

For my Team Project Class we are learning to work as a team on a consulting project so I felt it best to keep the focus on team building for this blog post.

This weeks’ blog is about something very important when you decide to start a business, Team Building. Building a team without dysfunction can be the make or break decision for any future business leader. In order to become a mogul, you must know the ins and outs of team building. You must know how to select individuals that posses no threat to the team with egos and works well with others. Trust and accountability is the glue that keeps a team together. Without one or the other is the entire project lacks and the success of the team is compromised.

The video I chose for my blog post this week is from 5 min Life Videopedia by SBTV (Small Business TV) on The Top 5 Dysfunctions of Team Building. In this video Patrick Lencioni author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team discuss his book and why teams fail. Lencioni breaks down these 5 dysfunctions in detail and resolutions for each dysfunction if a team should run into such a case.

The dysfunction of inattention to results, which is the last dysfunction, was the point in this video that I relate to most in dealing with team projects that doesn’t succeed due to egos. Within a team, there is no room for egos. No one-person gets more credit than the other, such as the cliché goes, “There is no I in Team”. As long as you have persons thinking there contributions are greater than the next team member there will be conflict. I have learned, the best way to resolve this type of issue is to take a consensus on the topic needing the idea and submit a combined anonymous vote to get the best idea for the team. The success of the project is the most important part of the project itself. Without success the team leave that particular project with ill feelings and a negative outlook on team building. Enjoy the video and please give feedback on you ideas of Team Building and Conflict.

The Top 5 Dysfunctions of a Team Building
http://www.5min.com/Video/The-Top-5-Dysfunctions-of-Team-Building-132886821

The Top 5 Dysfunctions of Team Building

Russell Simmons on Innovation and Business

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:07:00 +0000

This weeks’ video blog come from one of my (mental) mentors Russell Simmons from the Youtube.com courtesy of WSJDigitalNetwork channel. I have been following Russell Simmons career as a business mogul and I believe that his practices are the foundations of success. Within this video, Russell Simmons speaks on the foundations of being an innovator in life and business. “You can be anything you want to be, and you can start today”, states Simmons. God gives everyone many talents, at the end of the day, its up to the individual whether or not to use them. Russell also talked on the subject of leadership as the interviewer ask him question about changing up his leadership style as the business became larger. This video fall right in line with my class subject for this week as to being an “effective leader” and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

The best part of this video for me was the topic of him stating that when he started most of his businesses, he started them alone. As the ideas would get bigger then people would approach the relationship of working together because they started to see his vision. I can identify with this statement, because that’s exactly where I am today. Some don’t see the vision but some people do. Russell speaks on the fact that most of his ideas (Rap, Def Comedy, Def Poetry Jam as well as the clothing line, people didn’t believe in them. As a leader, being persistent and diligent to the vision is the primary responsibility and not being afraid to fail if it doesn’t happen immediately. If no one sees it at first, they will and that’s when everyone will want to be apart of the vision realized. Enjoy the video for this week!

Gigi

Russell Simmons on Innovation and Business
Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFcwQbmLso

Music Business 101-"Do You Really Believe What You've Heard About the Music Business?"

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:00:00 +0000

This weeks’ blog article comes from musicbizacademy.com. This site is one of the sites I am following as a RSS feed into my Google Reader. Musicbizacademy.com is a great site to stay updated with the evolution of the Music Business. This particular article challenges most of what we have come to know about the industry. The article is written by Christopher Knab who is also the author for "Music is Your Business" which has insight into the business of becoming a successful artist or band. Within this article, he highlights the fact that there is so much information available to artists about the industry, yet musicians are unknowledgeable about what it takes to make it in the industry. Knab believes artists are blinded by the media ability to showcase celebrities in positions of power. Aspiring artists don’t see the time and years it takes to get that celebrity to that level of success.

Knab points out actual misconceptions within the industry that uneducated artists still believe to this day. The lack of education in the past was due to the record companies withholding very important business information. Having aspirations of starting your own record label in the past meant creating a business with no information. With the Internet being such an open tool for communication and education all those secrets are out and there is no reason not to be educated on the business of music. I personally feel the reason for the lack of education is laziness. I speak to artist all the time and we talk about self-promoting, marketing within today’s music business. Some artists feel that getting other people to do the work is easier. I agree, however getting someone to do the work that has no clue of what they’re doing will lead to frustration and aggravation. The only way to make it in this business is if you educate yourself first on the business, then you get people to help you, if that’s what you think you need. This way you know what is expected and needs to be done.

Enjoy this weeks’ article!
Gigi

"Do You Really Believe What You've Heard About How the Music Business Operates"
by Christopher Knab

The history of the music business is filled with stories of musicians being misled or exploited by record labels, managers, attorneys, and other characters.

Until the early 1980s, it was difficult to find information about record label contracts, marketing strategies, publishing issues, or anything else about the inner workings of the industry.

That was then, and this is now. Today, musicians who want to learn about the business of music can find dozens of books covering every aspect of it. The Internet also has many wonderful sites to help musicians find their way around the slippery world of the music business. Just type in keywords like "music business","record labels", "music distribution", or just about any topic you want to know about... it's amazing how much free information is out there. Of course, just because its on the Internet doesn't mean the information you find is accurate... you have to learn/research who is saying what about the topic you are researching.

So why do I still meet and get e-mail from so many musicians who don’t have a clue that there are more letters in the word "business" than in the word "music?" Once again, I think so much ignorance still exists because of the power of celebrity, the thirst for success, and the escapist fun and honest fulfillment that comes with making music.

But most misguided beliefs exist because we’re exposed to a never ending flow of music. It’s on radio twenty-four hours a day. Television music channels show videos filled with exciting, escapist images. The media interviews your favorite musicians with questions that are as deep as the shallow end of a wading pool. Reviewers write articles about the latest releases and treat musicians like gods or devils, depending on the bias of the writer.

Try out this exercise and make it a new habit… look at all the non-stop entertainment that’s coming at you constantly, and see it for what it really is.

Ask yourself questions! How did that song get on the radio, who chooses what gets on the music channels, why does one CD get reviewed and another doesn’t, what factors determine who got the opening act gig on the superstar summer tour? How did that act’s website get so much attention? It’s no surprise that would-be stars see only what has succeeded, but rarely understand the inner workings of the business. So, it looks easy. Anyone can do it. That overnight sensation really did happen overnight — it couldn’t have been seven years in the making. Yeah, right.

Now let me show you some amazing statements I’ve come across over the years that show how ignorant most musicians and band members can be. They hear some things and believe them on faith, when in fact they’re hurting themselves by not knowing the business truths of the recording industry.

Here are some misconceptions I keep running across. I’ve heard these over and over.

"Copyrights? All you have to do is mail yourself a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your lyrics inside and a court of law will accept that as proof of copyright ownership"

"Man, this band I know just got two million dollars for signing with a major label. They’re rich!"

"Labels have to give you money to tour, man. It’s in every contract."

"Recoup? That just means you have to pay a label back only for what it cost them to make your record."

"Hey, if your band breaks up, you can just leave and go sign with somebody else."

"Once you’re signed to a label, they have to put your record out, or pay you a lot of money to break the contract."

The false statements above are just a small sample of the sad things I’ve heard and read from naive musicians, and really there’s no excuse for such ignorance. Look at it this way; as a musician, you’ve invested thousands of dollars in instruments and equipment. You may have paid for lessons and spent money on recording and manufacturing demos. Why not invest in learning about the business of music? Why aren’t books, consultations, workshops, seminars, conferences, or music trade magazine subscriptions as necessary to you as your other music related expenses?

Check out this fact… the men and women who run the music business got to where they are today because they asked questions and got the answers they needed as they worked their way through their various jobs. They learned what they know by attending a different kind of school than the one you may have attended; the School of Hard Knocks. The people who own the labels, record the music, publish the songs, and promote and sell music learned the business by living it. They may have gotten burned in some early deals and lost money along the way, but they took those life lessons to heart and tried not to make the same mistakes again. That’s what the School of Hard Knocks is all about… diving into the business, learning as much as you can as you grow along the way, and never forgetting the lessons you learned.

The main reason musicians were exploited in the past was because the industry kept the secrets of the business to themselves. Well, the secrets have been out for a long time now. The only reason you may have naive ideas and misguided beliefs is because you never had a music business education. Today there are many ways for musicians to educate themselves. There are music business degrees given by universities. There are countless conventions, conferences, and workshops for anyone wanting to learn the ropes. If you want to know the truth about recording contracts, publishing deals, management contracts, or anything else, take the time to learn more about the business you are a part of.

What if you start your own label and just guess what you’re supposed to do? In the past, many successful professionals who helped develop our great musical heritage did just that. But ask them if they had it to do it over — wouldn’t they have wanted to know what they know now? Wouldn’t they love to have back the money they spent foolishly, the contracts they signed ignorantly, and the deals they made without the proper information? You bet they would.

Get curious. Ask questions when you’re not sure about something. Don’t believe rumors. Learn from reliable sources because ignorance is not bliss. It’s important to educate yourself. (Just don’t go to the other extreme and become an information addict who never gets any real work done. I’ve met some folks like that, and well…don’t get me started!)

http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/music_business_operates.htm

10 Questions for Queen Latifah by Time Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:48:00 +0000

This video “10 Questions for Queen Latifah by Time Magazine, is a ten question interview on topics ranging from her recent CD release, her opinions on how hop-hop has change, to women of color and women period having a glass ceiling in Hollywood.

Queen Latifah, born Dana Owens, has defined the laws of branding and has excelled in the businesses of music and acting. Latifah’s work has gained her several major nominations and awards, one being a Golden Globe. When it comes to branding, Latifah landed several celebrity endorsements with CoverGirl, Pizza Hut and Jenny Craig. Not only was she the spokesperson for CoverGirl, she started her own line of cosmetics call the "Queen Collection" under CoverGirl cosmetics. Latifah acting career started in the early 1991 with “Living Single”, however it was her role in the musical “Chicago” that gained her mainstream success. She received an Academy Nomination for this role, which she is the only woman of three hip-hop artists that has ever been presented with such honors.

Queen Latifah was one of my industry experts that I chose to follow on twitter for my PLN class. I chose Queen Latifah because when I think of successful women moguls in the music industry she is the first person I think of. She is a definite role model for me being that she has been up against several obstacles being that she is full-figured and a women of color, she has still managed to pursue and conquer her many passions of life. Although the music industry is seen as a male dominated industry, this standard is starting to see a growth in women making great contributions and changes within the industry. Studying and watching the career of a successful woman such as Latifah, especially with all the many hats and roles she carry, can definitely put you on a path of achieving great success.

http://www.youtube.com/v/sAJmfZrTX14?fs=1&

Music, Money and Success by Scott G - The G-Man

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:13:00 +0000

I ran across the MusicIndustryNewswire.com site that gives updates on current events on the music industry. This particular article "Music, Money and Success by The G-Man, discuss industry inside information on how to obtain money and success while pursuing a music career. This article was inspired by a book written by Jeffery and Todd Brabec entitled “Music, Money and Success: The Insider’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Business," and is a book that is recommended for every songwriter and music publisher. Being an artist as well as a songwriter, I think that this article is a great piece of information to guide you in the right direction to achieving longevity in the music business.

The book authors Todd Brabec, is industry consultant and VP and Worldwide Directory of Membership for ASCAP and Jeffery Brabec is VP of Business Affairs for Chrysalis Music Group. Their book gives you a realistic sense of just how much money can be made through licensing, while educating you on the many different variables that affect amount and payment you will receive. This book gives an extensive overview of the music industry from the perspective of experienced insiders, along with plenty of financial data and examples.

The article writer Scott G, focus on the sections of the book that should spark interest to purchase a piece of literature that is needed to know what is to be expected from the music industry as a whole. With topics such as income practical advice, Scott G focus on the Brabecs facts on basic recording contract clauses and what recording cost that should be repaid from artist’s royalties. The last topic within this article “Before you sign the contract” highlights pages 467-486 of the book to give sample contracts for the ideal standards in most often deal situations.

I haven’t read this book, however, after reading this article I do believe that it is definitely one book that should be in my music information library. Enjoy the article!

http://musicindustrynewswire.com/2010/10/01/min3321_175721.php

Music, Money and Success
by Scott G - The G-Man
published Fri, 01 Oct 2010 – 17:57:21

Music Industry Newswire COLUMN:
“Music, Money and Success: The Insider’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Business,” Sixth Edition, by Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec (Schirmer, $24.95, 524 pages, ISBN 13: 978-0-8256-7346-7).

Brabec (Todd) is a music industry consultant and former Executive Vice President and Worldwide Director of Membership for ASCAP. Brabec (Jeffrey) is Vice President of Business Affairs for the Chrysalis Music Group and has negotiated more than 1,000 movie, television, video, new technology and advertising commercial agreements for writers, writer-recording artists and writer-producers. Both are entertainment law attorneys and graduates of the New York University School of Law.

Sources of Income
True to their subject matter, the Brabecs begin the book with a list of income sources for songwriters and music publishers. From albums to webcasts, the list includes both old and new media. There are sixty-six items on the list and they devote twenty-six pages to describing many of them, often with real-life monetary examples for you to use as a guide.

Practical Advice
If you are looking to find information you can use in your music career, you’ve come to the right place with this volume. They take a couple of pages to list the 22 “most important points in every recording contract.” Then they devote the next 50 pages to explaining them to you in plain, everyday English that we non-lawyers can easily comprehend.

There is data in this book that you really need, including facts about changes in basic record contract clauses such as “A review of what recording costs should not be recoupable from artist’s royalties,” “The sharing of some types of income on a 50/50 net basis,” and “Reasonable audit costs and interest.”

Entire chapters are devoted to such issues as sampling, music in television, music in the movies, and music in commercials. And yes, budgets are discussed. Just think about the price of the book compared to the value you will receive from reading the pages in the section titled “Negotiating the Television License for a Song.” Fortunately, that kind of important information can be found in every chapter.

Scenarios
From time to time throughout the book, the Brabecs include miniature scripts illustrating certain types of conversations songwriters or publishers will have with business people seeking licensing of their music. Not only is it entertaining to read these scenarios, it is quite instructive to study the terms, requests, offers and counter-offers in “The Phone Call from the Film Company,” “The Phone Call from the Advertising Agency,” and so forth.

New Media
While both of the Brabecs have plenty of old school experience, they are not only aware of the technological alterations that have affected the entire music business, but they fully embrace these changes and challenges.

Consider this sentence from the opening of their lengthy chapter on new media: “Internet service providers, digital rights management, podcasting, blogs, compression, downloads, wireless, streaming, subscription and non-subscription services, MP3, hyper-distribution, encryption, decryption keys, platforms, interactive music, portability, mobile devices, watermarking, fingerprinting — these words and many more form the vocabulary of the new music business.”

In the sections dealing with those topics, the Brabecs do not shy away from using firm examples, often right down to the dollars and cents results of making certain business decisions. (Or perhaps I should have gone with the pun and said “dollars and sense” results.)

Over There
Towards the end of the book is a good-sized chapter on income from foreign countries, a topic of concern to everyone making or marketing music. They provide you with an excellent perspective on subpublishing agreements as well as the importance of obtaining “at source” royalty payments (if you don’t know, look it up or buy the book). They even give you a list of fifty-eight foreign performing rights societies.

Before You Sign that Contract
On pages 467 to 486, you will find sample contracts for six of the most-often-utilized deal situations:

* Use of a song in a motion picture
* Use of a song in a television series
* Use of a song in an advertising campaign
* Digital download license
* Video game music license
* Mechanical license

Forewarned is forearmed. Reading these before you are handed a contract will enable you to familiarize yourself with some of the terminology and concepts. At the very least, looking at this material will give you a better idea of what to ask your attorney.

I could go on describing tidbits of data from such chapters as “Music, Money, Lawyers, Managers and Agents,” “Breaking into the Business” and “Guide to Music Industry Organizations,” but if you don’t want the book by now, you never will.

Article is © 2010 by John Scott G. – all rights reserved.

MidemNet 2010 | Conversation with Pharrell Williams

noreply@blogger.com (Gigi) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:05:00 +0000

MidemNet 2010 | Conversation with Pharrell Williams

Courtesy of MidemNet 2010
MidemNet 2010 Conversation with Pharrell Williams

Artist and über-producer Pharrell Williams took to the stage at MidemNet, for an interview conducted by Cornerstone co-CEO Rob Stone. The topics: how artists can engage their fans in the digital era, and the potential of musicians and brands joining forces. To paraphrase the N.E.R.D. song: you can't be him, he's a rock star! But what has he got to say?

He's under the weather, but still appearing. "Everybody knows how important MIDEM is to our industry," he says. Which is nice. It should also be noted at this point that he has amazing shoes on - big multi-coloured Nike snowboarding boots.

He kicked off by talking about his approach to music, and the fact that "I don't wanna repeat myself - I want to be the curator of a new experience every time somebody hears a new record... You allow different instinct to speak up and lead you."

Williams is also an entrepreneur, working with a host of brands and companies on non-music projects - everything from endorsing whiskey to investing in bicycle firms. Luckily, he says he has a team to tell him when he's in danger of overstretching himself. "It doesn't mean 'okey-doke' characters - it's people who challenge me... A good idea is literally just that until you have a good team to help you manifest and bring it to fruition." (MIDEM(Net)Blog, 2010)

MIDEM(NET)BLOG.(JANUARY 23, 2010). Conversation with Pharrell Williams. Retrieved October 29, 2010, from http://midemnetblog.typepad.com/midemnet_blog/2010/01/live-post-conversation-with-pharrell-williams.html