The Starving Artist

The Mama Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:31:00 +0000

This week I wanted to take the time to acknowledge a not-for-profit organization that has contributed to its community by keeping the music alive. Based out of Harlem New York, and founded by Vy Higginson radios first African American disc jockey, The Mama Foundation school of Gospel, Jazz vocal and R&B arts has been helping talented teenagers and musicians make a loud sound in Harlem New York.

The Mama Foundation welcomes voices at any stage of development whether beginner or seasoned. However, most importantly the foundation provides a place where musicians can go to learn the craft, become more confident and learn how to interpret songs better by learning how to find emotional release. In addition, the foundation provides a place for teenagers to join their own gospel group.

The gospel for teens by far is one of the many attributes the Mama Foundation possesses. Learning the background story of some of the teens and learning the many different trials and tribulations the teens go through in their daily lives becomes moving when you witness the positive effect the school has offered the them. In many cases the foundation has helped some of them become more confident about who they are as a person and taught them to be proud by shouting their name out loud. The Mama Foundation not only provided the gift of music but the gift of learning how to be comfortable in your skin, know and learn how to love yourself.

Amongst being a service to the community, the foundation also found success by having the longest running black Off-Broadway play in history. Mama I Want to Sing is a classic musical that has been widely recognized and has had an impressive star line up since its creation including Tisha Campbell, Chaka Kahn just to name a few. Current versions of the play that has been brought to film people can find music greats such as Pattie la belle and pop artist Ciara playing roles in the musical.

The Mama Foundation has a rich history behind its creation and continues to run shows in Harlem and all over the world. To learn more about The Mama Foundation please watch the attached interview conducted by CBS news 60 minutes.

References

2012. The Mama Foundation. About. Retrieved from http://mamafoundation.org/index.html. Sunday 23, 2012

2011. Gospel for teens. CBS 60 minutes. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7361574n Sunday 23, 2012

Directors Cut

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:50:00 +0000

Popular music artists creating emotions through lyrics can be so moving and infectious that listeners constantly demand the music to be heard on the airways. When the sound isn’t enough, or when music artist want to further promote their song typically the next step is to team up with another type of artist called videographers to create visuals that describe that hit record. Essentially when people are viewing music videos they see their favorite artist singing their favorite song, not realizing the images they are viewing are creative ideas and stories put together visually by the director. As a matter of fact, many would never know that their favorite videos have been created and directed by the same person. As much as music is important, music video production is an art form its self that deserves recognition, especially for the music directors that create them.

If you loved watching Rihanaa, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez videos, chances are you also love video director Melina Matsoukas. Melina is the force behind creating the visuals you see in the Rihanna we found love video telling the story of a love lost in a hopeless place filled with images of an exciting relationship doomed with drug abuse, friendship, passion and hurt. Perhaps watching the move your body video by beyonce prompted you to dance along have fun and to get fit. How about watching visuals of a paradise island in the tropics that made you wish you and your significant other were right there next to Jennifer Lopez in her Im so into music video. All of these videos I mentioned are a fraction of what the young director has accomplished in her short career span.

In an interview Melina describes her success as a popular music video director and what it is like to work with the worlds biggest pop stars and hip hop artists. Melina is an inspiration to future music directors and a name worth becoming familiar with.

Check out her interview below to learn about the talent behind your favorite music videos.To see Melina's official demo reel, click here.

References

2010. video interview. retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrB9Zn0Mc6A. 09/9/2012

2010. Music Video. Retreived from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e82VE8UtW8A. 09/9/2012

2012. demo Reel. Retreived from http://www.prettybirdus.com/melinamatsoukas. 09/9/2012.

Business Planning: The Experts Point of View

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:22:00 +0000

http://www.google.com/imgresq=business+plan&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1440&bih=838&tbm=isch&tbnid=Uc_DTUf4ZTSxTM:

I believe it wouldn’t be a little far fetched to say that there has been a boost in entrepreneurial spirit lately, more and more I stumble across young entrepreneurs opting to take a chance on their idea and passion in hopes to turn it into a money making machine while on the quest for financial independence. Within the music industry the entrepreneurial spirit is well alive, established artists are finding new ways to build off their brand and venture out into businesses other than music such as selling perfume or starting a new clothing or shoe line. For the independent artist, we are seeing them rise to fame on their own by creating successful campaigns to help boost their notoriety. The common link between these scenarios is that before a perfume, shoe line, or artist campaign could ever take place, one must realize the importance of planning for the business.

From an experts point of view, business plan writer Tim Berry explains which components in a business plan that can kill its credibility. Tim Berry started his career as a journalist and continued on to publish books such as Business Plan Pro, Three Weeks to Start-up, and Sales and Market Forecasting just to name a few. He is also a successful business owner of Palo Alto Software now a multi-million dollar company. From Tim’s standpoint, business plans are a critical component to the success of a company, he believes that it is not beneficial for anyone but the entrepreneur themselves to write their own business plans.

According to Tim, a key component in a business plan investors look for that can kill its credibility are: Unbelievable profits, Ignoring sales on credit, and expenses vs. assets. He says this holds true because most startups are not profitable, rarely do they make 10% on profits therefore it would be unreasonable for a plan to project their business will make 30% or more in profits. Waiting to get paid is a reality within businesses which is why Tim stresses sales on credit in business plan projections are key, without them included in a plan can kill its credibility. Lastly Tim says every business plan should accurately list its assets and expenses accurately.

Another Business plan expert Mark Zwilling is the CEO and Founder of Start Up Professionals Inc., his work has been published in Harvard Business Review and Business Insider. According to business plan expert reviews like Berry, Zwilling shares some basic tips that should never be excluded in a business plan. He states the executive summary is a key component in a business plan, investors will not look at a plan without an executive summary. Making sure the plan is free of typos is key and making sure the plan is an actual plan. Lastly, lengthy plans are not ideal, keeping the plan roughly around 20 pages will work.

To learn how to write a business plan Tim Berry offers advice on his website http://www.bplans.com/.

References

Berry, T. (2012 July 31). 3 incredibly common credibility killers in business plan numbers. Retrieved from http://timberry.bplans.com/. August 5, 2012

Berry, T. (2012). How to write a start up. Retrieved from http://www.bplans.com/. August 5 2012.

(2011 March 31). Mark Zwilling. R. Expert views on business plans. Retrieved from http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/. August 5, 2012

The Voice Auditions!

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 13:29:00 +0000

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+voice&num=10&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=838&tbm=isch&tbnid=mq0sAKvtVYVJxM:&imgrefurl=http://www.accesshollywood.com/the-voice&docid=FFsn1_Kmbn2uVM&imgurl=http://www.accesshollywood.com/content/images/144/680x250/144897_the-voice.png&w=680&h=250&ei=wPwLUJ2iK5Cp0AGA4vSfBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=999&vpy=606&dur=976&hovh=136&hovw=371&tx=191&ty=123&sig=110757230541387181612&page=1&tbnh=72&tbnw=195&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:24,s:0,i:229

NBC's hit music television show The Voice is finally hosting auditions around the country looking for new talent that will be showcased on television, airing fall 2012. It seems like many undiscovered artists are finding new found fame and success from nationwide opportunities such as programs from The Voice, Americas Got Talent, American Idol and a slew of other music talent shows that have been taking over late night television by storm.

Since its very difficult breaking into the music industry independently, gathering the courage to audition for The Voice may not be a bad idea. If you know you have the talent and are having a hard time getting yourself out there, then choosing to audition is the way to go! these days any opportunity an artist gets should be taken advantage of. No opportunity is too big or too small, if the talent and image is there then go for it!

For more information about The voice auditions please visit the website to learn about qualifications and how you can become the next voice America will be begging to hear every night!

The Voice production team wants to hear you! audition at the following locations.

New York: July 21/ 22
Memphis, TN: July 7th
Minneapolis: July 14th
Dallas, TX: July 28/29
Los Angeles, CA: August 11/12

If you are unable to attend and open call audition The Voice also makes it easier for applicants to audition via online. For more info on online auditioning please visit the following link http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/audition-online/?__source=voice|home|rightcolumn

References

2012. The Voice. Official casting cite. Retrieved from http://www.nbcthevoice.com/. July 22, 2012.

2012. The Voice. Online casting cite. Retrieved from http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/audition-online/?__source=voice|home|rightcolumn. July 22, 2012.

Ratings Over Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 03:16:00 +0000

In the realm of reality television, ratings dictate the life and air play that a show will be broadcast to viewers. For the stars of the show, being broadcast on television often means an opportunity to earn income, fame, and other perks associated with the entertainment industry. All of these gains are enough to make any one jump on board at the sound of a whistle. however, the question is why does it seem when these reality stars sign on, viewers would much rather see them jump off ship.

Lately there has been a backlash on reality tv shows such as VH1's basketball wives and Love & Hip Hop series now airing. Apparently viewers have been outraged about the content the network has been allowing the viewers to see and the portrayl of bad character and behavior that has been captured. Many petitioning the show to be removed off air, believe all of the malicious fighting, sex and love triangles are not healthy for young viewers that may think that type of behavior is acceptable. On the website Change.org, explains it’s reasoning why they believe creating a petition is necessary “For example, let's look at the story of Momma Dee, the ex-pimp/ex-human trafficker on the show. In a city where sex trafficking is pervasive, we desperately need to hear Mama Dee's story. Yet, VH1 treats her story like it's no big deal. When sex trafficking is treated casually, like it's chewing a piece of gum, it perpetuates the problem!”. http://www.change.org/petitions/boycott-vh1-love-hip-hop-atlanta-specifically-stop-dealing-digital-crack-and-tell-balanced-stories.

In response to the negative backlash, some of the characters on the show have defended VH1 and themselves by stating what is aired is real life, and if people have a problem with it, then they need to change the channel. To see some of the controversy click on the link to view a trailer of this weeks upcoming episode of Love & Hip Hop on VH1. http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/809042/episode-3-sneak-peek.jhtml#id=1688464

References

Harper, E (2012). Boycott VH1 (Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Specifically): Stop Dealing Digital Crack and Tell Balanced Stories. Retrieved from. http://www.change.org/petitions/boycott-vh1-love-hip-hop-atlanta-specifically-stop-dealing-digital-crack-and-tell-balanced-stories. June 28, 2012

(2012). Love & Hip Hop Atlanta > Ep. 3 | Episode 3 Sneak Peek. Retrieved from http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/809042/episode-3-sneak-peek.jhtml#id=1688464. June 30, 2012

Local Music Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 03:02:00 +0000

As an artist you might have it all, great music, fun personality, relatable and immensely talented. If a major record label gave you a shot you know your artistry package will make you an overnight success. You're doing everything you need to do locally to get recognized such as performing in local showcases and open mic's, in the hopes that someone whom works in the music industry will discover you. Although this is a good start for artists, many of them do not know that making it in the industry is going to require more effort than performing in local shows.

So you want to be a star? Then you must master the art of getting yourself out there. Performing locally is a good place to get acquainted and experience performing live but it won't necessarily win you the recording contract with a record label. Artists need to expand and gain the right exposure by constantly being in tune with music industry professionals. This means that artists need to know what industry scouts are looking for, learn where they are networking to find talent, and being prepared to seize the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately for many this is a hard task because there are not that many organizations that host events on a regular basis and that are extremely effective on reaching the right individuals.

Recognizing the need for this in the entertainment industry website www.themusicbusinessnetwork.com aspires to connect aspiring artists, students, established music professionals and engineers through their website and official hosted events in the New York City area. President and Founder Kathryn Sano describes the purpose of her site "The Music Business Network is dedicated to connecting industry professionals, students, and musicians with the services that they need in order to succeed professionally. The Network acts as an intermediary between members. It facilitates the connection between individuals who are in need of services to network members who supply the services they need. The goals of the network are: to provide networking opportunities (through its events)."(Sano 2012 MBN). Sano's cite is what emerging artists in the music industry need to support successful careers, her events offer good networking opportunities for industry professionals to discover talent and for artists to meet people that may help music projects.

Sano's Music Business Network is an asset for artists in the New York area trying to get their foot in the door. I would recommend artists to start getting themselves out there at events that will be a direct networking genius for their careers.

2012. Sano K.The Music Business Network. Retrieved from www.themusicbusinessnetwork.com June 16, 2012

2012. Image. About Us. Retrieved from www.themusicbusinessnetwork.com. June 16, 2012

Using Websites To Get Discovered

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:28:00 +0000

For years as a lover of all music genres and the business of the music industry, I know first hand how hard it is for artists to get their foot in the door. So many negative factors about the industry has left a bad taste in many peoples mouths and since discouraged our talented musicians and business professionals from pursuing their dreams. Making a difference in the music community has always been a lifelong goal for me because I understand how powerful and inspiring the sound of beautiful music can be. I want this blog to serve as a tool for emerging musicians, singers, songwriters and future business moguls as a reference and guide for the starving artist on how to make it in the industry.

Many of us have heard or know of extremely gifted artists with the ability to touch lives through song, but yet they have not been able to land a major recording deal. To yourself you may have wondered this artist has the whole package, quality music, personality and a great image so what is the hold up? The frozen truth is that making it into the music industry has a lot to do with who you know and networking. If this task was an easy one maybe that talented person would have been signed a long time ago. Artist have to grasp that utilizing resources is essential to advancing their career.

In 2007 three business partners understood that breaking into the industry for unknown artist is extremely difficult and wanted to connect those artist to already established music professionals looking for talent. The innovative founders Corey Stanford, Nathaniel Casey and Ronald Harrison created a brilliant idea of a company now known as Blazetrak. Blazetrak serves as the first ever online networking for artist looking to get their music heard by A list celebrities and moguls such as Ruben Studdard, Matthew Knowles, Big boi and John Rich just to name a few. The company guarantees that if an artist submits their music through Blazetrak to the person of their choice, that within 30 days they will receive a personal video message from the music industry professional giving the artist valuable feedback and direct exposure. http://vimeo.com/20583755 Although this idea is brilliant it also comes with a hefty price, Blazetrak translates the price into credits with one credit averaging 25 dollars a pop. However, it is a great opportunity for artists that have quality material but no direction. Blazetrak works! visit the website at www.blazetrak.com.

Reference

About Blazetrak/Blazetrak. Retrieved from http://Blazetrak.com/howitworks_overview.php. June 16, 2012.

Legal Counsel From Entertainment Attorneys

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 28 May 2012 02:54:00 +0000

If the music business was not about the music business, then it would have been called the record business, unfortunately the music industry's only purpose is to gain profit at all costs, even if it's at the artists expense. Business over music is the motto in the industry whether an artist likes it or not, it is the reason why many musicians and entertainment professionals should understand entertainment law in respect to the field they are in. Since the entertainment is in the dog eat dog arena, I was able to find pertinent advice from Entertainment Attorneys Greg Eveline, Michael C. Donaldson, and Mike Young.
In a seminar conducted by Attorney Greg Eveline, he lectures a course specifically discussing the importance of copyrights and why publishing is where majority of money can be made for artists. According to Greg, his advice to songwriters and artists are to make sure that all material is copyrighted. In particular, he mentions that signed artists should always register the performing arts form because typically a record label will have rights to the sound recording and the video recording copyright. He stresses properly registering arts of work is a must for all artists because if not done, the record label will cheat artists out of royalties. Greg states artists should think about copyrighting as owning property because it allows the artist to rent or sell their music. Attorney Eveline also points out that copyrights do not mean artists owns music they register, but that it is merely a claim stating that their music material was created at a certain date and time.

On the other end of the spectrum, directors of documentaries are having a hard time visually explaining a story without using the appropriate music to compliment points they try to make. Entertainment lawyer Michael Donaldson says the reason why it's so hard for directors of documentaries to create stories is because of clip licensing fees. For instance, if a director wants to use 30 seconds of a song clip and use it in two parts of the film, it would cost production at least $6000 to $8000 for permission to license music. In order to lower the costs, Donaldson says he always advise his clients to implement fair use. Fair use is like freedom of speech, it allows film makers to express their ideas through film without having to pay licensing fees. In a way, fair use is like a loop hole for filmmakers to use as a defense in the court of law. Donaldson explains as long as the filmmaker is able to illustrate the point and doing so by only using what they need to get the message across to viewers, then there is a line for defense in court. Lastly, Donaldson says that it is imperative for filmmakers not to take advantage of fair use, he believes filmmakers need to maintain relationships by offering to pay a price they can afford, before using unauthorized material believing they don't have to pay because of fair use.

In another interview, lawyer Mike Long gives advice on how to protect a website without a lawyer. Considering the growth in social networking and digital media, Mike Long's advice for online business owners are very important. In the interview Long states the first rule of thumb in protecting a business is by forming a separate business entity to shield assets such as cars, by forming a registered business like an LLC, or corporation. He states its essential because the company becomes a person shielding the owner from having to worry about loosing personal property. Long goes on to mention every website should have a privacy policy that states what customers rights are and to ensure customer privacy when using the website, if they choose to use their information on the website. finally, Long mentions the importance to watch out for copyright trolls, copyright trolls are people that make a profit purchasing domain names that already belong to businesses.

Listening to all of the interviews gave a lot of insight on where the entertainment industry is headed in the future. in particular, I find information on fair use to be the most helpful for my business because my company creates videos that will need to use music in order to illustrate a point. Also another key point shared by lawyer Mike Young, is to always protect your business by registering intellectual property and safeguarding your online business by purchasing a domain name. To see full length interviews please watch attached videos below.

References

A Seminar in Copyright Law with Entertainment Lawyer Greg Eveline. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei50ZKq0Y_k. May 24, 2012

What is Fair Use in a Documentary Film? with Entertainment Lawyer, Michael C. Donaldson on BYOD EP24 retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uDr0LAMqws. May 24, 2012

Protecting Your Website Without A Lawyer - Attorney Mike Young Interview. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5aYC8RD6_0. May 24, 2012

The War Over Music

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:37:00 +0000

Included in the many battles and challenges the music business face to keep the industry afloat, the massive decline in CD sales and spike in online piracy are only a mere fraction of the legal battles the business juggles. In an attempt to keep the industry alive, record labels have been desperate finding ways to make new money from 360 deals at the artist expense, filing suits against websites, and the fight on royalties and licensing.

Amongst constant legal pursuits to strengthen existing copyright laws against consumer infringement, major record labels are also acquiring lawsuits themselves from musicians due to the innovation of media sales of music from online distributors. Since iTunes is required to license music from record companies, the labels are making a profit from licenses and music sales, which raises questions from artists wanting to know what percentage of royalties from licenses and record sales, are the record companies supposed to pay them. In a review of well known artists who recently filed claims against their label, gave a better insight on the ongoing royalty legal issue.

The late Rick James most recently popularized by his statement on a BET awards show "I'm Rick James B****." has found himself after death fighting for royalties that his estate believes Universal records cheated them out on. The estate filed a class action against UMG suing for damages claiming the label owes unpaid royalties from the sale of digital music downloads and ringtones. According to entertainment attorney Tamera H. Bennet "In accordance with the Eminem decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a digital download is a license, and an artist is typically entitled to 50% of what the record label was paid for the license, versus a lesser percentage that would be due for the sale of a record."(2011) Since the artist is entitled to half of licenses which is a far more bigger share than the percentage of royalties from record sales, in my opinion this means we can expect a number of artists to file suit against their record labels in the near future.

Another legal controversy surrounding the music industry are the record labels ongoing battle to secure rights for locking artists into 360 deals when they sign a recording contract. Since the labels are no longer making profits solely from record sales, it is now becoming a common procedure to sign artists to deals that take income from sponsorships, endorsements, products, books, etc. Any form of business that artists makes, the record company wants to be entitled to a portion of it. Entertainment lawyer Bob Donnelly thinks if artists have an opportunity to sign a 360 deal, then they should immediately contemplate on doing a 180 on them. He also believes, record labels are right to incorporate 360 deals in contracts, he states "Labels justify profiting from multiple rights because they are making a substantial investment in the artist."(Donnelly, Buyers Beware.) personally, I believe that 360 deals are unfair to the artist, especially if the artist is performing average in record sales, if there was someway that the record label could recoup a small percentage from the 360 deals then maybe for the artist the deal will be worth negotiating.

Lastly, a legal controversy with sampling music has forced websites like google and YouTube to audit, and refrain certain music not allowed by the artist or label to be viewed on the website. Lawsuits between the sites have forced YouTube to no longer allow persons to download music samples, instrumentals or the use of certain remakes to be viewed due to infringement. Most recently, Viacom sued YouTube for releasing material on their site stating, youtube's motive was to gain popularity and not rightfully license the use of materials. Ultimately Viacom lost the suit, included in a 39 page document of the ruling states “A reasonable jury could find that YouTube had actual knowledge or awareness of specific infringing activity on its website.” (Limer, 2011.) My take on this case is that YouTube cannot stop everyone of its users from downloading material or uploading remakes of works that are sampled, in my opinion it's out of their control, however I do think the company has been proactive in trying to limit infringement from happening because now it's nearly impossible to upload videos with cover songs or material with works of popular artists contained in them.

In conclusion, the music industry is far from winning the battle of music theft, but it is clear they are taking necessary steps onto building the foundation of a new music era thrived by the internet, media, and digital downloading. Along its road to recovery, the battle of legal controversies the industry faces will no time soon seize to end.

References

Bennet, H. T. (2011, April 8). Rick James Estate's Class-Action Suit Against Universal: An Entertainment Attorney Weighs In. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/rick-james-estate-s-class-action-suit-against-1005122802.story. May 5, 2012.

Donnelly, B. Buyer beware why artist should do a 180 on 360 deals. Retrieved from http://www.lommen.com/pdf/Bob-Donnelly-Billboard-360-Article.aspx. May 5, 2012.

Limer, E. (2012, April 5). Viacom’s Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against YouTube Goes Forward, Threatening DMCA’s Few Useful Qualities. Retrieved from http://www.geekosystem.com/viacom-youtube-lawsuit-raised/. May 5, 2012.

The Most Successful Female Rapper Of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:31:00 +0000

Music has had its share of successful female rappers including old time greats, Queen Latifa and Little Kim but lately in the Hip Hop arena, we have yet to see a female rap artist attain success next to the likes of the male dominated genre. This tale held true until an eccentric, Spunky, fun whited, and quirky lyrical artist stepped on the scene in 2009 with a slew of music features on other artists singles and topping the charts at number 1 with her first hit single "Your Love". Ever since the rapstress has stepped foot on the hip hop scene her consistency with producing great records and growing fan base, has made the barbie beauty a force to reckon with. When comparing the statistics to other female lyricists to date, Nicki Minaj can be hailed as the most successful female rapper of all time.

According to Carlton Jordan.com other female rap artists album sales produced a certain amount of numbers, the details are as follows.

Trina

Da Baddest B***h – 33K

Diamond Princess – 67K

Glamorest Life – 77K

Still Da Baddest – 47K

Amazin – 33K

Lil Kim

Hardcore – 78K

The Notorious K.I.M. – 230K

La Bella Mafia – 166K

The Naked Truth – 109K

Missy Elliott

Supa Dupa Fly – 129K

Da Real World – 131K

Miss E So Addictive – 250K

Under Construction – 259K

This Is Not A Test – 143K

The Cookbook – 176K

*Drum Rolls Please*

NICKI MINAJ

PINK FRIDAY – 375K

PINK FRIDAY ROMAN RELOADED – 254K

According to the Statistics, Nicki Minaj effortlessly supersedes all with only a mere two albums released, if the lyricist is able to maintain these type of numbers for her third album, then I believe it is safe to say that she is an artist rapping consumer friendly greatness, an act banking in her own lane. I look forward to hear more music coming from Nicki Minaj and to watch her empire grow as she becomes the most

successful woman in Hip Hop today. To learn more about Minaj please visit her website at http://mypinkfriday.com/events#tour

References

Jordan C. 2012, April 17. Nicki minaj on track to become the most successful female rapper in history. retrieved from. http://www.carltonjordan.com/2012/04/17/nicki-minaj-on-track-to-be-most-successful-female-rapper-in-history/. April 22, 2012

Minaj, N. 2012. My pink friday. Retrieved from http://mypinkfriday.com/events#tour. April 22, 2012

Business Over Talent: Iggy Azalea V.S Snow Tha Product

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Ask any established artist how easy was it for them to break into the music industry, I can almost guarantee that the answer would be it took good music, excellent management with a dash of blood, sweat, and tears. Now, if you ask the same question to a female artist she would answer all of the above and then some. New artists that are female have to live a double standard when pursuing a music career especially in the genre of hip hop, women cannot just be talented but they also need to be visually pleasing to the viewers eye, typically in an over sexualized manner. In the hip hop community sex sells and unfortunately for some artist that are not visually and sexually appealing to the eye, have little chance attaining success.

For instance, freshman class new comer rapper Iggy Azalea has a good flow but I'm not too sure if crediting her success is due to her rapping skills, the 21 year old's image is reminiscent to white barbie with a voluptuous body, don't get me wrong she is good but her visual package is what sells her, it reels in the viewers because she is hot! on the contrary, independent artist Snow Tha Product has a flow that can compete with Nicki Minaj, she is that good with her skills but in order for her to get any serious offers by labels she is going to need to revamp her image or create a story behind her music that is interesting enough to gain more of a following. In my opinion Snow can give Iggy a run for her money but because of the double standard in the industry it is likely that Iggy will remain the dominant player because of her well developed image.

Only time will prove if listeners will begin to remotely care about the talent rather than the look but during a tumultuous time in the music indusry execs more than likely will choose half the skills for the full image deciding business over talent.

Check out below videos of rappers Snow and Iggy doing their thing!

How Good Is Your Management?

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:34:00 +0000

The range and depth of success for many artists in the industry does not solely rely on artist talent, one major factor of success heavily depends on artist management. The management team transforms an artist music into a small business that is comprised of imperative components that will make or break an artist. Services artists need within their team include Public Relations specialists, Marketing, Artist Development and distribution just to name a few. So, with that said, how good is your management? If you are an artist that is talented beyond measure but lack the team that makes your music a marketable entity, then it is in your best interest to become affiliated with persons well versed in the area.

Artist that we hear on radio and see on television everyday have management teams dedicated to the marketable promotions of an artist. for instance, new R&B artist Elle Varner is backed by a management team named MBK Entertainment. The company provides a variety of services for their roster of talent which include famous singers such as Alicia Keys and Tyrese. Main functions that MBK provide for them are business to business activities that helps the advancement and development of an artist. MBK states "We are a multimedia company with many facets including its music division which embraces all genres of music from R&B to rap to pop, a film division, and a concert promotions division. As a young company, everyday we are expanding and broadening our horizons to give you, the consumer and potential new artist, some of the best quality entertainment in the industry today." (2011 MBK) http://www.mbkentertainment.com/about/

Another company that offers management services is called Red Entertainment, the company offers booking opportunities for established artists and new artists that need the extra promotional help to jump start their career, or to simply help established artists remain in the public eye. http://redentertainment.com/Red_Entertainment_Agency/Home.html

References
MBK Entertainment. 2011. About us. Retrieved from http://www.mbkentertainment.com/about/. November 12, 2011.
Red Entertainment. 2011.Home. Retrieved from http://redentertainment.com/Red_Entertainment_Agency/Home.html. November 12, 2011.

Negotiating for Cornerstone Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:24:00 +0000

Cornerstone Promotion is a marketing company for lifestyle music and entertainment with stints in promoting trending music artists such as N.E.R.D. handling marketing for his latest album Seeing Sounds and the driving force behind the marketing of Bushmills liquor, Converse, Coke Zero, Boost Mobile and owns a popular magazine Fader that is gaining notoriety for its big time artists that are being featured such as Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Young Geezy, Cameron and many influential artists in the entertainment business. Cornerstone has continued to make a name for its self in the New York City area and has locations in Los Angeles and in Europe. With an undeniable buzz in the Tri State area I was able to sit down with a Cornerstone Representative Edward Jean in Time Square to get some insight on what it means to work for a leading marketing company in the entertainment industry in its day to day operations. During the interview Edward describes the negotiation practices that makes the Cornerstone Team a Success.

Q:How long have you been working with Cornerstone?
A: Since 2006 I continue to work with them because overall it's a good company, the working environment is very positive and the great thing about working in the entertainment industry is that for the most part work is always fun.

Q: What are your responsibilities as an employee at Cornerstone?
A: My responsibility as an employee is to be the representative that gets an artists product into the stores first, I meet with managers and ask them to play the album in the stores and ask permission to take photos with customers holding the CD in hand so that I have evidence to show cornerstone that the product was delivered. We also travel to different events and speak with club managers to get the product played in the clubs and have tangible marketing for party goers to have in hand such as flyers etc..

Q: Interesting! in what capacity does negotiation contribute to the success of promotions for Cornerstone?
A: Before I even get on the road to deliver the product for different artists first we have to send proposals to artist management and negotiate deals that will get their product out to a specific audience, while negotiating we usually focus on leverage and power because there are other competing marketing companies wanting their business. Due to our popularity and young target audience we usually win them over with other affiliations connected to Cornerstone such as Fader magazine. Fader is the hottest magazine out in New York and to be honest we win a lot of our deals because artists want to be featured in our issues.

Q: So basically Cornerstone thrives off of having power thanks to its strong fan base and brand that has transpired with the creation of Fader magazine?
A: Exactly, artists are always looking for the best place to market their music that will help them grow their fan base and Fader magazine does just that for them, it definitely gives us and advantage or leverage when proposing marketing deals to the artists management, because of it, business has never been better power is everything these days.

Q: Thank you so much for your time where can I learn more about Cornerstone Promotion?
A: It's my pleasure for further inquiries you can visit cornerstone promotion at www.cornerstonepromotion.com and check out the magazine at www.Thefader.com

Motivational Speakers Inspire

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:22:00 +0000

A notion of wanting to excel at the labor of choice and being successful for many people, often times remain a dream. Having ideas and dreams are the premise to what we are capable of doing but without the initial effort and drive to turn our most fantasized dreams into a reality, is only a skill achievable easier said than done. Over the years of wanting to work in the entertainment industry, I've noticed that some of the most successful industry professionals and artists are not necessarily the most talented, but what they do acquire is the knowledge on how to be successful.

Motivational speaker Richard Johns excites audience members and myself with a how to become successful inspirational speech. Richard Johns begins his speech by pointing out the first step of success is having a passion for what it is you want to do. The idea behind having passion is that if you feel this emotion for your labor of work, then you will develop to be the best at it when its done for love and not money. With passion in pursuing a career, nothing is forced and fruits of labor including finances will come naturally. The next step on being successful is having a good work ethic, with continuous practice and joy for your career, work will always be a fun responsibility.

During the speech, the step that stood out the most to me was a great point when he stated that every successful person is focused on ONE thing. In order to become truly successful, continuous focus is extremely imperative. Johns goes on to interest audience members by stating once you're focused and know the direction you are headed, the next step is to continue pushing yourself physically and mentally, pushing yourself through shyness and self doubt is an important factor. Lastly the step that is considered the most valuable to have when reaching your goals is the ability to remain persistent. Comically, Jhon goes on to say that every successful person has done it by being persistent through failures and C.R.A.P. (Criticism, Rejection, Assholes and Pressure).

Aspiring to become an artist in the music industry requires a dead on concentration of focus on the goal to make it, Motivational speaker Richard John inspired myself to continue working at my goals with passion, work ethic, focus and persistence.

Click on the link to watch Richard St.Johns 8 Secrets of Success. http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html

References

Johns R. 8 secrets of success. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html on December 10, 2011

Songwriting In The Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Porsche Diane) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:08:00 +0000

The success of music artists in the industry largely depends on how cohesively their management and the artist work on branding a developed product. The intriguing aspect of the music industry happens before the branding process can even begin, involving artists and musical creativity. Having a solid artist to market in the music industry begins with the production of great music starting with the songwriting process.

Competing artists that are successful in the music industry, especially in the genre of popular music, owe a lot of credit to the songwriters that are the creators of the most innovative, catchy, thought provoking and even sometimes annoying jingles that over time somehow your ears learn to love. For instance, Rihannas song Umbrella written by The Dream can be remembered for its catchy a- a- a- a- stint, and yahoos annoying jingle youwhoo- youwho- whoo- that was constantly replaying in our minds involuntarily. Let's face it, an artist wouldn't be the brand they are today without the likes of great songwriters. Major record labels are always demanding writers because artists will always be in need of them.

Songwriting indeed is big business for the music industry, so much that organizations have been developed to house new talent. The Songwriters Guild of America was founded on the purpose to cultivate and develop emerging new songwriters into their maximum potential. SGA is imperative for the music industry's advancement because not only does it offer networking opportunities but it also allows for the honing of lyrical development which is much needed in the constant evolution of sound and lyrical content in the music industry. SGA also believes that songwriters published work should be protected, the reason the association constantly immerse themselves into politics and advocate for new laws in favor songwriters and composers.http://www.songwritersguild.com/sandboxsga2010/pnpservices_new.html. For songwriters looking to advance their career, attaining membership with SGA for a small price can be beneficial to them. The association offers different packages starting from $60 a year to $225 dollars a year. http://www.songwritersguild.com/sandboxsga2010/membership_new.html. Services include songwriting workshops, publishing, royalty payment, copywright renewal and termination, entry into exclusive panel interviews and much more.

Songwriters seeking to get more experience in the music industry with intent on getting their material published, having a membership with a well recognized association such as The Songwriters Guild of America will be an asset for getting a foot into the door, and a great start in gaining much needed opportunities.

References
2011.Services. The Songwriters Guild of America. Retrieved from http://www.songwritersguild.com/sandboxsga2010/pnpservices_new.html on November 28, 2011

2011.Membership. The Songwriters Guild of America. Retrieved from http://www.songwritersguild.com/sandboxsga2010/membership_new.html on November 28, 2011