Feedback by McNally Smith College of Music

INTRODUCTION

THE VERY NOTION OF CAREER AT AN ART SCHOOL DAVID LEWIS, — Director, Career Services

CAN BE SOMETHING OF A LOADED STATEMENT. TO BE CLEAR, NO SINGLE PERSON CAN BE THE GATEKEEPER TO A SUCCESSFUL LIFE IN THE ARTS. AN INSTITUTION CAN PROVIDE A STELLAR EDUCATION, SUPPORT SERVICES AND GUIDANCE, BUT A CAREER IS NOT NEARLY SO LINEAR OR DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO A COURSE OF STUDY. — That being said, it is paramount that you not only look to study hard and hone your craft with great passion, vision and love, but also understand the social parts of the industry: the nooks and crannies of soft or social skills. Those tools are increasingly important and the more you are aware of, or better yet, in charge

of those aspects of your career, the more you will be able to navigate the waters of entrepreneurship. This zine is a handbook of ideas and some conversations around the topic of best practice. Part practical guideline, part casual insight with musicians, technicians and decision

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makers from all walks of life, all genres and all parts of the creative landscape – it will hopefully serve as a starter course and some preemptive career... feedback.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Interview Page 12

Interview Page 04

Interview Page 21

Interview Page 07

Interview Page 15 Interview Page 08

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 02 PROFILE:

CHRIS BARONNER 04

PROFILE: DIY TIP:

JASON GNEWIKOW

BRANDING 20

NETWORKING

Q & A: WHAT

PROFILE:

CHE ARTHUR

PROFILE:

BRENDAN MANLEY

PROFILE:

JAMES McALISTER

PROFILE:

ADAM SKATULA 24

DIY TIP:

RESUMÉS & COVER LETTER

DIY TIP:

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

PROFILE:

SEAN McMAHON

PROFILE:

MATT BAYLES 27

INTERVIEWS 14

PROFILE:

JOSH ROTH 28

PROFILE:

ROBIN LAANANEN 15

DIY TIP:

GETTING YOUR MUSIC OUT

PROFILE:

BEKAH ZIETZ

DIY TIP:

NAILING YOUR AUDITION

DIY TIP:

PROFILE: DIY TIP:

KYLE FRENETTE

IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS?

BREAKING OUT OF THE SYSTEM

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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DEEJAY / BOOKER

CHRIS BARONNER

Chris Baronner spins under the name DJ Bald Eagle and is the talent booker at Chicago’s Metro music venue. You have to help me out here because I am a little in the dark about DJ culture today. It seems like things have really bloomed in the last few years. I see it as having never stopped since the early ‘70s when the birth of disco truly began. Dance music has a pattern of coming up from the underground, surfacing for a few

How did you get involved in being a DJ? After being hired at Metro in 2001 I quickly discovered that the dance club underneath Metro, Smartbar, had a pivotal role in the history of dance music – house music to be exact – as well as industrial. Coming from central Pennsylvania, I was not exposed to “real” dance culture at all but rather only saw the watered down, major label abuse of the culture via acts like Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch, C+C Music Factory, etc in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. At the same time, the Lower East Side in NYC was seeing

physical aspects but the research of music and constant willingness to progress, change, and invest. There were amazing DJs in the early ‘70s who didn’t mix because mixing wasn’t something that existed in the culture. Mixing was born out of a need and want to extend songs that were only three minutes long or to extend parts of the song that DJs knew were THE moment of a song. Their sets were great because of song selection which is hands down STEP ONE for a great DJ set. That doesn’t mean having the hottest songs or the rarest songs, or if it’s a piece a vinyl or a 320kbps mp3, but rather how you utilize the songs that you have and how you present them to your audience. One of my favorite abilities with a laptop is starting at the end of a song and using it for the intro and then going back to another earlier part in the song. But anyway, there is a HUGE difference between Ipods and vinyl and laptops but somebody could be a great DJ with any of those mediums. Tell me what DJs clichés I should avoid if I get asked to spin. I think part of becoming a DJ is learning the hard way – going out on your own and finding out for yourself. I’ve had tons of nights where I’ve tried something that absolutely did not work the way I wanted or intended. Sometimes I never go back to it and other times I revisit at a later date only to discover that it wasn’t necessarily me, but perhaps that particular environment. But alright, if you must have a cliché, don’t wear a white shirt unbuttoned and have a fake tan.

years, then the bubble bursts and it goes back under. If you repeat this a few times you can pinpoint the pattern with disco then house then techno then electro, which gets us to 2011. During this entire time there’s numerous other genres being born, thriving, and dying. As far as today goes, I think it started up again with indie rock flirting with electro and remixes coming back as an additional outlet for bands as well as additional promotion.

a rebirth of dance punk/funk with acts like The Rapture, Radio 4, Liars and numerous others. So, as I was starting out at Metro, a lot of indie bands started going back to the art of the remix and having their tracks remixed into more danceable tunes. What is the main difference between so-called iPod DJs and someone who spins vinyl? Does it even matter right now? It absolutely matters, but not because one is better or greater than the other. However, you’re extremely limited with an iPod and with vinyl, as with anything, it takes practice and dedication, not just the Feedback

How should a DJ gauge what to get paid? Again, I think it’s a matter of experience – trial and error. If you’re playing a popular club in your town for the first time, don’t act like a superstar DJ, expecting to be paid a ton of money. If it’s a sponsoredout event and the money is not being generated from door/ticket revenues, then perhaps you can shoot for more money than you’d normally receive. I personally believe in paying dues and not expecting money because I have a cool logo – some blog posted about me and/or I have X number of

“ I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN PAYING DUES AND NOT EXPECTING MONEY BECAUSE I HAVE A COOL LOGO – SOME BLOG POSTED ABOUT ME AND OR I HAVE “X” NUMBER OF FANS ON FACEBOOK.”

fans on Facebook. Of course once you build a resume people might see you as being bigger than you are in reality but I suppose that’s like any job in the entertainment industry or art world. You are also the talent buyer for the Metro in Chicago. What work do you do day-to-day? Answering a lot of emails and daydreaming about art and DJ stuff. I also book shows somewhere during that timeframe. In a

nutshell, I coordinate our calendar, arranging dates with booking agents, negotiating offers, putting together local shows. The amazing thing about my job at Metro is my ability to learn, create and grow as an artist and then when it makes sense I can utilize Metro and Smartbar for these endeavors which are relevant and beneficial for the club. I guess it’s a full-circle scenario. What track can I play that will always get the party started? Michael Jackson or Daft Punk. Guaranteed. Any final advice? Don’t be afraid.

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DO IT YOURSELF

NETWORKING Even though more and more interactions take place online, always remember the value of face-to-face networking. Especially in the entertainment industry, it’s important to get your name out there. Here are five tips:

Just Do It The term networking brings with it the image of the guys from the show Entourage. Their chest hair fluffed out, pointing at their friends at the bar, high fiving and trying to meet with faux-celebrities. Truth is that networking is not nearly that hard or involved, in fact if you are doing it right you won’t even know you are doing it at all. Networking is about making connections, but those connections should be sincere otherwise they won’t do you much good.

Set Goals Don’t go out aimlessly. Set modest goals for yourself: to give out all your business cards, to collect 6-10 cards from people you don’t know yet, to open up conversations with a group of strangers. What is important is that you follow up and stay in touch. Tools like Facebook and LinkedIn help make this a little less creepy, but really build up those networks of friends and colleagues.

Prepare Yourself Ask Questions It won’t do you much good to meet with some mover and shaker if you don’t have your materials in order. Wait, what materials? Well, good question. That depends on what you are interested in doing, but at the very least you should have a business card, some professional web presence and your work – video, writing, photography, etc – organized to illuminate what makes you such a commodity.

If you happen to meet someone that might be interesting to you professionally, don’t start by selling yourself. It looks desperate and can be annoying. It is far better to be composed and ask questions. People love talking about themselves. Stay timely. Read the newspaper. Ask someone his or her opinion on something topical,or better yet, about their work or about the industry.

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Once you’ve got them figured out, you’ll have a much more wellinformed idea of how to respond and best market yourself.

Have Fun If you are nervous, that is ok. Start slow and go easy on yourself. If you are too uptight or calculated you will trip yourself up before you even start out the gate. Start in a relatively safe environment: a coffee shop, the local club, and your classroom even. And really have fun with it. The more you get out the easier it will become.

SOUND ENGINEER Do you prefer big tours like this one with Muse or do you like smaller club gigs? There are things I like about both. On this Muse tour I’m doing monitors for Silversun Pickups, so I’m on the side of the stage every night controlling just what the band hears on stage. There are aspects of it that I really enjoy, for instance, the top-notch equipment that’s

Che Arthur is a live sound engineer and touring musician. He has worked with artists ranging from Minus the Bear and Silversun Pickups to Manchester Orchestra and Shellac. How did you get involved in live sound? In Alabama, some friends bought a club and asked me to be their booking agent and sound person. That was how I started with live sound, and then, after I moved to Chicago, I worked in clubs here. After a while, bands started asking me to go on tour with them.

How important is the technology part of your job and how do you keep up with those trends as they change? Especially now, with so many people making the switch to digital consoles, being at least somewhat abreast of new technology is becoming more and more important. I’m fortunate in that, because I tour so much, I get the opportunity to check out a lot of new stuff hands-on. I’ll confess to being a bit of an “old school” analog guy, so there was a bit of a learning curve for me when I started to use the digital boards. I found myself wishing I’d done more research beforehand.

CHE ARTHUR

Silversun Pickups

available for me to use, but at the same time, some small club tours where I’m doing the house sound have also been among my favorite ones. Any advice for someone looking to get into live sound? Get to know people. If you’re new to sound, ask a local sound person or two if you can come watch them work and eventually assist them.

Tell me a little about the job. At the end of the day, it’s a mixture of creativity, damage control, and public relations. You have to figure out a way to use whatever tools you’re presented with (the equipment and the acoustics of the room itself) to make as coherent an audio image as possible, and you often have to do it with very little time. How do you get new gigs? There are a lot of ways to get work, from websites like www. managementschmanagement.com or www.crewspace.com to the old fashioned way of scouring the want ads, but for me 99 percent of the sound or tour managing jobs I’ve gotten over the years have come from knowing the people directly, or by someone I knew recommending me.

Minus the Bear

You also play music yourself. Do you ever get the urge to just jump on stage and start jamming? You know, at times I do. Especially if it’s been a particularly long tour and I haven’t had much time to play music for a while. But at the same time, some of the same creative itches are scratched when I really get in the zone of mixing. So it’s usually not that big of a problem.

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Pick up sound engineering magazines such as Mix or EQ, and the Sound Reinforcement Handbook, and familiarize yourself with some terms and concepts, but don’t get bogged down in the science of it. Successful engineering ends up being about learning to do what your ears tell you. And, be nice.

DRUMMER

JAMES McCALISTER

James McAlister is a drummer, producer and engineer who has worked with everyone from Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer to Pedro the Lion and Ester Drang. What got you excited to play drums? My Dad has played/sang in a gospel band since he was a kid. I think being around his musical universe got me inspired to do something. I actually loved the idea of playing bass or guitar as well, so I’m not quite sure why I ended up at the drums primarily. My Dad always tried to get me to take proper piano lessons, which of course I should have. I learned later how important a working knowledge of the piano is for ANY musician. How was it growing up in Oklahoma? It was great. I am realizing now finally how much I appreciate the country/rock/western swing musical influence that growing up in Tulsa implanted in me. I think Oklahoma is great place to be from,but I am glad I migrated. Lets talk a little about something slippery. How are musicianship and popular music intertwined? It probably depends on whom you ask. For me, I think I’ve always tried to avoid limiting myself to playing one style or music, or I’ve tried to be able to function in as many musical sub-cultures as possible. Being a good musician has nothing to do with whether you are playing a type of music that is considered popular or not. It’s always the hot topic in the world of academic music; everybody thinks that playing pop gigs is somehow inferior to succeeding as a jazz guy or a classical guy or whatever. That is a really dangerous way of thinking, in my opinion. To quote Duke Ellington, “music is either good or bad.” Coming from a band where you were a primary writer, how did you prepare yourself to be a hired drummer? I really just figured it out along the way. You obviously go from being “the drummer” to being in the service industry to a certain extent – doing what people ask for.

With Sufjan, we quickly got to a point where we were collaborating, but at first I was just trying to make sense of what he was asking me to do. A lot of it didn’t line up with my previous strengths in drumming, but that is what was so good about it. I had to learn to be willing to try new things and not just do the “I am a good drummer and this is how I play” thing. I still enjoy showing up to a studio with someone, or a rehearsal space, and being able to nail the songs on the first run through. That is mostly what I do now. I just had to learn to take really good notes, bring them to practice, write down changes they want me to make on the spot and take criticism well. Again, working hard and being prepared and LISTENING really go a long way. If you can do that as a drummer, I think you give yourself a lot of opportunity. Sometimes you get hired because people love your style specifically, but a lot of times, especially early on, they just need someone who can keep time, show up on time, and play tastefully. I think it’s vital to recognize the difference in those two situations and play appropriately. You initially played with the church, when you were younger. Do you think that helped you become a better player? Yeah, I played in my Dad’s band, and we toured around to churches all over the area. That was huge for me, to be playing every weekend at age 12 or 13. We had a steel guitar player in the band, who was especially musically literate. He would set up where we could make eye contact, and every time I started to drag or Feedback

rush the tempo, he would give me the evil eye. That’s pretty much how I learned to keep time. How important has community been to you as a musician? It’s everything, really. Both in the networking sense and the personal enrichment sense. Practicing and woodshedding is vital, but if you don’t have a community of people you can actually PLAY MUSIC with, you really won’t progress nearly as quickly as a musician. Also, being a decent person to hang out with, and not being a pain in the ass will put you ahead of a lot of other musicians out there looking for gigs. Drummers: use your ears and don’t just seek wisdom from other drummers. That probably applies to other disciplines as well. Also, in any scene, word travels fast. So you really have to play your best in every situation, whether it’s a boring wedding jazz gig, or just a low-key jam at someone’s house. How do you define success as a musician? I am always revisiting this question, and one thing I can assure you is that it has nothing to do with material gain or public notoriety. I think if you are truly called to play music primarily as a career, you will have to face the challenge of figuring out exactly how that works for you. The best times with music I have ever had are the times where I was playing with my friends in a living room. I really think if you can somehow strive to avoid quantifying your musical identity by whom you play with or how much you get paid, you are free to experience the true joy of playing and honing your craft. On a practical note, I think sometimes people put a little too much focus on whether or not they

“ PRACTICING AND WOODSHEDDING IS VITAL, BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLAY MUSIC WITH, YOU REALLY WON’T PROGRESS NEARLY AS QUICKLY AS A MUSICIAN.” on music (whatever that might look like at the time) and yet not neglecting other responsibilities outside of music. Balance is everything for me.

Sufjan Stevens

have to have a side job. In times when I have had to do other work to fill in the cracks, I realize that it isn’t such a big deal. In fact, sometimes its great because you aren’t so stressed about money. You can actually focus a little more on practicing or being creative in general, without the pressure of getting paid right away for it. The life of a musician at ANY level has ups and downs financially. It’s a true test of your heart, and I get more and more at ease with it as get older. I feel most successful when I am simply working HARD

What advice do you have for young drummers coming out of school today? Play with as many people as possible, obviously. Also, try to learn what you are really good at. In the academic world there is a lot of focus on being versatile, which usually means playing a bossa, samba, swing, rock, and funk or whatever. In the real world, you might learn that being versatile means playing a lot quieter in the studio because the microphones like it better, or that cymbal you really love bashing on actually sounds terrible in the song. Also, you might learn that you can play a groove at 120bpm that just doesn’t work at 117bpm. Rimshots on the snare drum may feel great, but sound stupid. Things like that. Your hard hours spent transcribing Tony Williams or working through Feedback

Advanced Funk Studies will most definitely come in handy, but there is also so much else to consider when you are trying to play drums with a lot of people that hear things differently than you do. Also, having a working knowledge of other instruments will greatly expand your vocabulary and your ear. Finally, try to hang out with people you admire, go see people play live, and don’t drink too much or get into drugs, especially when you are working. It won’t help you. Be kind and humble when someone asks you to play with them. Be prepared for anything, both musically and socially. Good luck!

DO IT YOURSELF

REsumES & COVER letTEr Your résumé and cover letter should not be the end of a job search, but the beginning. Both of these pieces of paper should be written (and rewritten, and edited) to get you the interview.

ONE PAGE Unless you are a Ph.D. or someone with 20 years management experience your resume should only be a page. Keep in mind the HR person can only spend a few seconds per applicant, so when you send them the Grapes Of Wrath you should know it goes right in the trash.

Objectives are for suckers Your objective is to get a job, right? Your cover letter is your narrative and your resume the supporting document with the facts, dates and duties listed. To try and collide the two is unnatural: like a funk country band, it is just wrong.

Read. Reread. Rewrite. Writing is rewriting. Don’t halfheartedly write some dates down and send in your papers. You should reread it. Then let people whose writing skills and advice you trust reread it. Take all their opinions, decide which of the edits work, and rewrite the whole thing You should reread. Then have your Uncle Jim reread, maybe some friends, your teachers, then show that one twitchy guy who sits on the bench outside. Take all their opinions, decide which ones you like and rewrite the whole thing.

Who Are You?

Don’t forget this is about you. Take pride in your resume. Look to use action words that make you sound awesome, highlight your skills, but really this document is a testament to your professional experiences to 10

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date. Keep a master resume of all your jobs and be sure to have each resume and cover letter fit the position you are applying for. The guys at Jimmy Johns might not care if you ran VFW punk shows, but the internship coordinator at Epitaph Records might.

Start At The Beginning If you have never been the Vice President of Ice Cream or won a gold in the X-Games, it’s ok. Start at the beginning. Most people looking at your resume will understand you are a college student. So include what you have, along with classes, volunteer opportunities and anything appropriate. Be honest, be thoughtful and move on.

DO IT YOURSELF

InFoRMaTioNAL iNtErView When you are a student sometimes the idea of having a career is abstract. You rightfully focus on the mundane day-to-day of handing in papers, cramming for tests and honing your Wii skills. You know the important stuff. But truthfully all these tests and class projects should ideally lead to a rich and rewarding profession – one that is challenging yet somehow leaves you fulfilled. But what if you land that dream job and what you imagined would be the perfect match somehow isn’t? Well. Most likely this won’t be the case, but it can’t hurt to investigate right? Being a student can give you an excuse for access, a chance to meet with professionals and ask them about their livelihood. How did they get involved? What is their typical day like? This is the foundation of what is known in the business as an informational interview, a one-on-one conversation with someone doing what you might one day hope to. But before you dive in headfirst into an informational interview there are some guidelines and expectations you should be mindful of.

Do Your Research One of the most common mistakes you can make is cold-calling various companies without doing any research. How large is the business? What do they do? Who are their clients? Even more importantly if you have actually gotten yourself an interview be sure to be familiar with your subject. Spend some time online and you’d be surprised what you can find out. Being prepared will not only make you look better it will also give you something to talk about.

Don’t Ask For A Job This is a huge mistake. The idea of an informational interview is that you are talking to this professional about their experiences so you can best assess if you are interested in pursuing that career path. To ask for a job betrays that trust and will get the door closed as quickly as

it might have opened. That being said the Internet tells us that,“1 in 12 informational interviews yields a job offer.” This should never be banked on but goes to show how valuable Informational Interviews can be as a networking tool.

Be Professional So while these interviews might be less overt than a more typical job screening, you should treat the opportunity as professionally as possible. Dress up. Take a shower. Brush your teeth. Be respectful of the subject’s time. Remember while this might not be job yielding you never know what other opportunities might pop up in the future. All industries, especially creative industries, are closely knit.

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Be Patient Like the entire career process, Informational Interviews can take time. You might not get an interview with your first choice. There is a fine line between persistence and pestering. If one person has difficulty finding the time to meet, be gracious and move on. If you do get to interview someone it is immensely important that you follow up with a simple thank you card. This gives you another opportunity to leave a good impression.

LABEL OWNER

KYLE FRENETTE

at the time. I found that I was able to learn just as much outside of class, as I was in class by taking advantage of the school’s connections to the Twin Cities’ music scene. I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the school and made some great and lasting connections with fellow students and staff. In fact, I recently brought on one of the friends I made at McNally Smith as a full-time partner and assistant to the label and management firm that I run.

Kyle Frenette is an alumnus of McNally Smith College of Music. He currently runs Amble Down Records, releasing records with The Daredevil Christopher Wright and Meridene among others. He also manages Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, whose self-titled sophomore album was released to rave reviews this past June, climbing to #2 on the Billboard top 200. Tell me a little about what you do. I run a record label and manage some bands. What does that entail? Well... a lot of time on my computer! Yep. I also release records that my friends make and assist them in sustaining active and healthy careers in music as best I can. All from the comfort of my living room!

story and how the music came to be, conceptualizing artwork and imagery that complements the music, and building an active web-presence that’s aesthetically appropriate, fan friendly and interactive. All good and necessary things! Atop of all of that (good music, consistent touring, and a presentation that does its job well), and one of the toughest part of all of this, is assisting your band/artist in sustaining their career in music while maintaining a comfortable livelihood. Not that you need to involve yourself in your band’s/ artist’s personal finances, but the state of your band/artist as a business and the revenue stream of that business is something very important that requires constant attention. It’s not all about making money. But it does take some to sustain a lasting career in this business.

How do you help a band make it big? Short answer: You don’t. Breaking a band is all hit or miss, time and place; it’s all a game of chance really - Building an artist’s career to a point in which they’re able to survive on their music involves chance as well, but also a ton of skill. First and foremost, the music’s got to be there - it’s got to stand on its own. Second, the band/artist has to be willing to work and work and work; work at crafting their live show and taking that show on the road as often as they possibly can. Presentation comes next. And presentation involves marketing, promotion, and in this day and age, general band/artist-to-fan interaction. Composing an artist’s aesthetic message around their music is one of my favorite parts about this job. Doing stuff like writing bios that tell your artist’s 12

Bon Iver How was your experience as a student at McNally Smith College of Music? It was a good one. I graduated three years ago, so I can imagine the school’s changed quite a bit since I attended. I was on scholarship for business, and the business program was pretty new Feedback

Some of my favorite memories from my days at McNally are tied to interning for the non-profit, D.E.M.O., in helping out Steve McClellan with the organization’s weekly showcases while driving around the city with him in his little gray car talking music - past, present and future. What is the role of a manager today? I think it’s the same as it’s always been. A manager’s role is meant to assist his or her band/artist is sustaining a career. This is accomplished by staying up on the changes and trends within the industry and mapping out a career path that denotes healthy growth while at the same time having the flexibility to alter that path if needed, to bend the rules, and to explore new and exciting ways of getting music heard. Overall, though, a manager’s role should always consist of holding true to his or her artist’s best interest at all times. Why Eau Claire and not New York or LA? Why not? With the way business works these days, the coasts have become more irrelevant in most industries than they were, say, ten years ago. Honestly, the cost of living here has a good deal to do with why I’ve been able to do this full-time since graduating; it’s just cheaper overall. But more importantly, I made the choice to move back here and try my hand at exposing Eau Claire and its music scene as best I could, because I’ve always believed in the musicians here. The challenge of putting a town like this on the map for emerging music had always been appealing to me, and I was inspired by other collective music scenes, like those of Seattle and Omaha for example, to do something similar here. I’ve always been attracted to the idea of a bunch of people gathering in a relatively unknown area and making something happen that’s bigger than themselves, and I guess that’s what’s kept me here. There are some drawbacks of course, for instance: easy access to people within the industry. If we were based in New York or Los Angeles, our network might grow faster.

“ WHY NOT? WITH THE WAY BUSINESS WORKS THESE DAYS, THE COASTS HAVE BECOME MORE IRRELEVANT IN MOST INDUSTRIES THAN THEY WERE, SAY, TEN YEARS AGO.” How do you decide whom you work with? Well, for the most part, my clients are also my best friends. Most of us grew up together. I have signed bands and artist whom I didn’t know previous to working together. However, in those cases, we’ve always become good friends through our working relationship. The deciding factor is always the music. I’ve got to love it, and it’s got to make me excited! You also own your own label. Tell me about it. I started the label before I began managing. A record label, especially one that focused on the community of a local scene, was always something my friends and I had dreamed of starting back in high school. So, it had been an idea that lived in me for quite some time. During my senior year of high school, I immersed myself into the local cultural and music scenes around here in attempt to learn as much about the business side of music as I could. I divided my time between my schoolwork, the band I was in, booking and promoting shows at a local coffee house, and working as an event coordinator at a local arts center. That year taught me a lot. After high school, I decided that I wanted to continue working on the business side of music, which brought me to McNally

Smith. It was that first year away from home that I acted on the ‘record label idea’ and started Amble Down with the hope of eventually moving back to Eau Claire and making it work. The success of the label has surprised me. It’s in its fourth year now and still growing. Though, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it going if it had not been for the management firm starting up.

small, but ever-growing network. What I mean by that is, we’re still calling the shots in everything we do. Holding onto that control and doing things well and honestly is what I’m most proud of.

Working with Bon Iver over the last few years, what was the moment you were most proud of? Hard to say. There have been a lot! Something that I am continuously proud of is that in all of the success that Bon Iver has had, we have been able to maintain most of its operations as a business within the confines of our

Any thoughts on the future of the music industry for anyone in school today? You know, I could go on and on about this – I have trouble with change. But, I’ve learned that change is inevitable in this business and is always taking place no matter what. I’ve had to adapt my conservative nature in order to survey doing what I do, and it’s been tough, but very crucial. Stay informed and ahead of the curve. I’m living by that.

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If I had to pinpoint a specific moment, I’d say that going to Japan with Volcano Choir (a Bon Iver side project) this past November was pretty epic!

DO IT YOURSELF

INTERViews Interviews are up there with public speaking as one of the top phobias. But like public speaking, the more you do it, the easier it gets. You want to interview a lot. Even if you have a job. Apply for jobs you will never get. Interview your bank teller. Talk to strangers on the bus. Ok maybe not that, but exposure is the key.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

look for clients, talking points and gather potential blackmail dirt.

This is a simple tactic that works in all aspects of your life: be sure to get early to your interview, so you don’t run in panting. Then take 10 minutes and go for a walk, let go of any anxiety you might have. Don’t run your answers through your head. This is impossible, but give it a shot anyway. What is important is that following the interview you repeat that same walk. Retrain your mind on how a mere 30 minutes later all that tension you felt is gone. Repeat and you’ll be amazed at how much easier it gets.

Just Say Yes

Google. Bing. Yahoo Your potential employer will Google you, please take down any shots on your Facebook page from the keg party last week. At the same time you should Google, Bing or Yahoo Search your employer too. Check out their LinkedIn page, find out information about the company, 14

A first round interview for an entry level job on average lasts 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of any interview the employer will ask, “do you have any questions for us?” The answer is always yes. I don’t care if you have talked for 5 hours, never say, “no.” Good places to start are about specifics of the job, more about the company, or something to illustrate your skills.

Pay Attention This is especially important on the phone. You must listen to what the person is saying. This sounds insane, but with all the stress of wanting to get the job you can get off track pretty quickly. Let your interviewee set the tone and follow his or her lead. But listen and look for cues.

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Oh. Thank You This is totally old school, but sending a thank you card is classy. You are classy, right? Of course you are, so send a card.

PHOTOGRAPHER them. I suggest the same for video. Keep in mind that photographers don’t work for free.

ROBIN LAANANEN

Can’t my boyfriend, mom, or crazy uncle just take the shot for me? They can, if you don’t mind it not being good. The importance of a quality photo can be underestimated. Just remember the times an image in a magazine, movie poster, ad, book cover or album cover stayed with you and made you feel something.

Robin Laananen is a professional photographer who has worked with Simian Mobile Disco, Mastadon, Weezer and countless other artists. You can find her work at www.redhedpictures.com Hi Robin. Tell me a little about yourself. I’m a freelance photographer, tour manager and manager. Photography is responsible for introducing me into the managing work. I wanted to see the world, and tour managing is one way to do it. It’s a lot of responsibility, you have to work in crisis situations with a smile and keep everyone happy. But I’ve been able to photograph Japan, Mexico, every nook of America, and Europe multiple times, so I’m not complaining. How did you get involved in photography? I took photography courses in college before moving to Seattle. I began shooting for local music publications, which led to doing work for Sub Pop Records. Most of my work was from referrals, and

glossy magazines became regulars, which led to traveling. What role do photos play in an artist’s press campaign? The artist’s photo helps connect the band with their fans. It’s mailed out to journalists of all kinds (glossies, zines, blogs...) with promo copies of the album, months before release date, for reviews and features. So what makes a good band photo? Bunch of “bros” in front of a brick wall, right? Getting that perfect band shot of dudes in front of a brick wall has been an unattainable dream of mine for years that I hope will be fulfilled one day. Until then... For press shots and album artwork, I collaborate with the band. I think it’s important to have their press shot represent them in a way they’re comfortable with, and the album art should coincide with what it’s about. For a magazine, it’s typically on location shooting, which means looking for an interesting place near or in the venue.

What should you pay? Rates vary from a few hundred to a few thousand. What format should you get, 8x10 glossy? Unfortunately, these days things are usually done digitally, which means it’s easiest to be given a DVD of images -- low res and high res versions (low res for emailing and websites, high res for print). Otherwise, you’ll be spending your own time scanning and Photoshopping. Any final advice for students looking to hire a photographer? Don’t be afraid to reach out to photographers you admire; you’ll get a response from someone eventually. If you aspire to become a photographer, always remember that anything worth doing in life is hard at times. Any art has a way of weeding the ones out who don’t want it badly enough. And don’t compare your work to others, let them inspire you.

How should a band or artist find a photographer? Pay attention to whose band/artist photos you like and reach out to

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

BEKAH ZIETZ

realized that I could make a living combining two of my favorite things, talking on the phone and talking about music, I was determined to find a way to make my living off of that, which I have been lucky enough to do so ever since

Bekah Zietz handles PR for Sub Pop Records in Seattle, WA. Sub Pop has birthed everyone from Nirvana and the Postal Service to The Shins and Fleet Foxes. Hi Bekah. What is Sub Pop? Sub Pop is a record label that was started almost 23 years ago by Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt. I could provide you with a whole history lesson on the label and our artists but will let our website do that for you, so head over to www. subpop.com and learn for yourself. It will be fun, I promise.

What is the hardest thing about doing publicity? Everything. Ha, not really, but sometimes it feels that way. Press at its core is one of the most important, if not the most important tools in helping bands build a fanbase. It is what helps connect the dots between the product (band and their CD/LP/live show) and

Tell me what you do at the label. I am a publicist and handle all tour, regional and online press for our artists. I am a press hustler. How did you get involved in music? I have always been a geek for music, sometimes not the best of music, but a geek nonetheless. When I started college I thought it would be cool to get a radio show on my campus station and the rest, as they say is history. I worked my way up from various positions on the executive board of the station, ending with Music Director. Once I 16

What if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a label? Should I reach out to a magazine on my own?

Fleet Foxes

consumer. Sometimes as much as much I may love a record, a writer may not agree and it is my job to help convince them that even if they may not be into the sonics of the release it is still important to cover in their publication.

The Shins

Who are you talking about (in the case of a music-related press release, this would be the band), what is going on with that band, when is the event happening, why is it happening and how does this affect the larger project and campaign. It is best to start off with a header that summarizes everything in the release so the writer can merely scan the release and be able to pull the pertinent information that they may need quickly and efficiently.

This may sound like it is an easy thing to do, but it is a never ending balancing act of knowing when to stop pestering a writer for coverage, but also knowing that you did everything in your power to potentially secure the band coverage as well. As tiresome as this task can be, there is nothing quite like the power of persuading a writer to reevaluate their opinion on coverage for an artist and then turning that into a review or feature. One small step for bands, one giant leap for ME. How do you write a press release? The key to a good press release is being able to say what you want to say in the least amount of words. It is always best to start with the basics, the who, what, when, why and howâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Feedback

This is sort of a tricky question. We are living in what I like to call the Musical Wild West right now and I honestly do not think that anyone knows how it will turn out. Technology has brought us to a point where almost everything (including print media) is web-based. Through the power of technology and protools, you can make a record and self release it without spending really anything. As a result of this there are more bands then there have ever been which is both a good and bad thing. The perks are that people can now have access to more music and content based sites for music. The downside of this is that writers have way more piles of music (both digitally and physically) to sift through. If you are in a new and unsigned band and are looking to get press I would say the most important place to start is locally and then move onto blogs and web. Press follows press so if you are able to build some momentum for yourself/ band in your town then it is a lot easier to use that press to secure

“ UNLIKE MOST OTHER PROFESSIONS, IT IS VERY RARE THAT YOU EVER SEE JOB OPENINGS POSTED ON JOB SITES SUCH AS MONSTER.COM AND OR CRAIGSLIST. AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS ALL BASED ON WHO YOU KNOW. REALISTICALLY, COMPANIES TEND TO HIRE FROM WITHIN AND OR BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS.” coverage in the town over when you play a show. This is the same for web and print. Writers are as geeky about music as we all are, sometimes even more. They are paying attention to what their peers are writing about and are not afraid to email you directly if they like what they hear. So what I am trying to say is you should definitely not be afraid to submit your music to publications and follow up with the writer too, just know that you may not get a response on the first, second or fifth try. Well, could I hire you or someone like you? I only handle press for bands/ records that are released on Sub Pop Records & Next Ambiance (Sub Pop World Music Label), but there are tons of awesome independent publicity companies that work with unsigned artists and record labels such as: Motormouth, Riot Act Media, Girlie Action, Force Field Pr, 230 Publicity, Nasty Littleman, PMA Pr, Pitch Perfect PR, Team Clermont etc. I would Google some of your

favorite bands and see if they have a publicity contact listed on their website/Facebook/MySpace page. Cost for press campaigns through independent publicists vary from company to company so make sure check out each companies websites and talk to a few company’s before making a final decision. You seem cool. I want your job. How do I get hired at Sub Pop? I am very cool, can’t you tell? Interning is a great place to get your foot in the door for a job in the music industry. Unlike most other professions, it is very rare that you ever see job openings posted on job sites such as Monster. com and or Craigslist. As much as I hate to say it, the music industry is all based on who you know. Realistically, companies tend to hire from within and or based on recommendations.

Nirvana

internship. The awesome thing about music is that there are so many different things you can do, so the more internships that you are willing to take on the better. When I was in school I was able to intern at variety of different places (Record Labels, Venues, Magazines) and upon graduation it really helped me narrow down what I wanted to do in the long run. Oh, and make sure to use David Lewis as a resource.

I would suggest using your summer vacation as an opportunity to relocate to New York, LA, Chicago, even Seattle and get yourself an Feedback

DESIGNER How do you find work or decide on which artists you will work with? In the last few years (as the record industry budgets have pretty much run dry) I’ve been a lot more selective about which music packaging jobs I will take on. If there isn’t much of a budget, which there usually isn’t, I tend to gravitate towards projects where I have more creative freedom in exchange for less money.

JASON GNEWIKOW

Jason Gnewikow is the head of Public Studio and a founding partner of the design collective Athletics, a design firm based in New York City. He has designed hundreds of record covers for artists like Voxtrot, The Counting Crows and his own band, The Promise Ring. What was your first experience designing a record cover like? My introduction to design was pretty much exclusively through designing tape and record covers for my own bands, so that experience was, for the most part, a really fun, creatively free venture. A few years later when I started designing for other bands and entering a more client oriented relationship it became a little more challenging. Managing the expectations of clients, especially when they are other creatives like musicians, can be really challenging. That said, when you finally establish a creative relationship with an artist who has great ideas, it can be a really exciting and rewarding relationship.

How many albums covers have you done? Maybe not as many as you would imagine. Probably somewhere between 50 and 100?

Being a musician, do you feel there are comparisons between writing a good song and good design? For me, absolutely yes. I think it’s probably true of any creative process, but I find that there is a point that I’m always looking for in the project where something finally feels special to me in order for it to feel like it’s a complete idea. It’s a bit hard to describe, but there is almost always a moment where I finally feel like everything comes together for me. I find the same thing true of writing music. Whether it’s “good” or not is always up for debate.

How important is design to the success of a record? Do you feel that good design means more or less in the digital era? That’s tough and I think it depends on what section of the musical stratosphere the band is operating in. I don’t think that a well-designed record translates directly into record sales. A well-designed record is probably always at least a leg up. but I think a band’s overall aesthetic image that gets put out there in the larger cultural sphere can definitely help position them and that extends beyond the record package to merchandise and now I suppose your web presence as well. As a consumer and maybe a designer I think I’m always more seduced by bands that have a strong, considered visual presence.

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What advice do you have for a musician looking to do their own art? Do it! Fortunately, music packaging probably lends itself more than any other creative space to the “no rules” way of thinking. Nobody knows your creative vision better than you. A proper designer can perhaps bring it to life quicker and/ or easier than you may be able to. If you have the idea but not the skills or the tools, find a friend that does that is willing to help you. The mechanics of design can always be taught but ideas and taste cannot. Without the DIY mentality I would have nothing. If a musician was looking to have their tape/CD/lock-groove vinyl single designed, what kind of budget should they put aside? How can the layman gauge what is fair? These days music packaging is largely a labor of love. As I mentioned before music industry budgets are next to nothing these days. If you find a project that you’re excited about doing, I think you just have to figure out what makes it

worthwhile for you. I would say you can expect between $300-$2000 these days. What can a musician or manager do to best prepare to work with you? I think the best thing they can do is to take a strong look at my work and hire me because they love MY work as oppose to hiring me to ape someone else’s work. Designers obviously need to be versatile, but if a client is just hiring you to be a direct extension of them to simply execute every detail of their idea, I find those situations always end with the artist feeling left out and the band never truly getting the idea in their head on paper.

“ HUSTLE FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN UNTIL YOU HAVE TO START PUTTING YOUR FOOT DOWN IN THE MONEY DEPARTMENT. YOU ARE YOUNG (PRESUMABLY) — NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO HUSTLE AND RUN YOURSELF RAGGED. Any parting words? Have fun doing design and take as many projects that allow you to have fun as you can even if it means doing them on the cheap. Also, find your own projects to do. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to give you a reason to design, if you truly love it then just make projects for yourself. The more work that you put out there the more chances people have to find you and the more refined your skills will be. At the beginning it’s all about hustling. Hustle for as longs you can until you have to start putting your foot down in the money department. You are young (presumably) now is the time for you to hustle and run yourself ragged.

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DO IT YOURSELF

BrandiNG

Matt Lunneborg, Creative Director & Owner, HalfHisHalfHers Design (halfhishalfhers.com)

Brand is the identity of a specific product, person, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination, or slogan. A legally protected brand name is called a trademark. The word ‘brand’ has continued to evolve to encompass identity – it consists of the personality of a product, company, or service. Branding is the system that identifies a product, service, or company. It is how the brand is executed, through brand associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and more that become linked to the brand.

01.

Who’s Your Audience?

This is arguably one of the most important aspects of branding. Take time to figure out your niche and define who you are trying to engage and impress.

02.

Research/Inspiration

Take a look at what is out there – brands that inspire you, brands that you hate. Know exactly what you are (and are not) trying to create and get an idea of what elements it consists of. Everyone gets stuck at some point and its always great to have resources around to give you that extra push of motivation.

03.

Define Yourself

In this step, get to know who you are or what your brand is. Define your niche, define what outcomes you want, and figure out exactly how (and where, and why…) you want to achieve your goals.

04.

Design Starting Point

This is a good time to sketch out some ideas on paper, look at swatch books, and figure out typographic styles that you enjoy. Again, draw from the inspiration you pulled earlier for the goods and bads about certain marks and logos. Have fun and experiment a bit!

05.

08.

Utilize the computer or completely throw it out the window, it really won’t matter much. You should already aesthetically know the look of your mark by now, but push yourself. Try doing one on the computer and one off of the computer, you may very well surprise yourself with he results.

Letterheads, business cards, reply cards, envelopes, CD packaging, posters, postcards, blogs, social media feeds, motion graphics, videos, and the list goes on. Your system should be similar and match aesthetically across all platforms. If your color is red and your typeface is Helvetica, then own it and put it across all of the platforms listed above.

Embrace Technology Or Ignore Technology

06.

Less Is More/More Is More

Your brand’s aesthetic should define how much and what you include visually. If you prefer a busy or stacked look, run with it. Cleaner, minimalist aesthetics are usually associated with a more corporate, professional look.

07.

Finalize and Own Your Mark

Own your mark and logo, love it, and nail it down. Work out any kinks that are bugging you, go through typefaces to make sure that you have fully resolved every issue and treatment. Change the colors up, have a look at it, ask colleagues and friends what they think. Just don’t allow that to completely sway your decisions and reasoning behind what you have created.

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Systems and More Systems

09.

Deploy Your Mark

From all of the digital interfaces, websites, and social media outlets to all of the printable means as well, get your mark and logo out there. Keep in mind the location and audience for your brand while doing this. If you oversaturate your brand it will get ignored, not noticed.

10.

Push It, Success Isn’t Given – Work At It!

The proof is in the pudding. You don’t get you respect, you earn respect. Work your ass off – there is plenty of time to sleep later. For now, push yourself!

QUESTION

Q& A In your own opinion, what is the key to success? “The truth is, I REALLY tried as a band member to always stay humble and modest. Got a gig with a great band? Take it in stride, enjoy it, and don’t let it get to your head. A label is interested? Again, stay focused on the music, the camaraderie, and refining your art. Two things are the kill switch of being a musician for a living: 1) loss of humility, 2) business guiding art. The minute we were planning tours around this expectation or what we needed, or wondering what to do with the next record since we’d tried this experiment and it didn’t work. Those were moments when we had to pause and be pro-active about NOT becoming those people.” — LAURENT SCHROEDER-LEBEC Pelican “Be easy to work with. I’ve seen many musicians with incredible technical ability go nowhere in their careers because they are difficult to work with. On the other hand, I’ve seen musicians with only average technical ability have long, rewarding and profitable careers, just because they’re so easy to work with. Listen to your bandmates and be a team player. The same social skills that make you a good band member can also make you a good member of a music scene. Try to be courteous to everyone you come in contact with, not just the ones that seem important. They’re all important.” — ALEX WEBSTER Cannibal Corpse

“Don’t be afraid to do other things to make money in the short term. This can be a very rewarding experience. Historically, musicians have been barbers and bartenders and all kinds of stuff to make ends meet. This is totally fine. Don’t worry about it. It’s cool. So do what you need to do. Waiting tables will give you lots of stuff to write songs about. I used to call myself the king of the part time job, because I could get up out of my chair at any time and go get a job of some sort. Not that it would be the greatest job of course, but I could go and get something going. I’ve cleaned pools, painted apartments, done maintenance work, taught music, worked in a factory, threw newspapers, drove a delivery truck, cooked, all kinds of stuff, and none of it killed me. Through it all I was able to keep practicing and writing music and studying what I was doing. Bills? Hey no problem, go flip a few burgers and I can pay that and get back to playing the banjo, get a job in a dance band whatever I have to do. Just live within your means and you can avoid so many hassles. Hassles interrupt your practice routine.” — DANNY BARNES Singer/Songwriter, Banjo player “At many points in my life, I could have said different things about music and what is important in creating it. Part of the reason for this is that the landscape is always changing. You can’t plan on anything. Things are never going to be exactly the same in the way that music is produced, distributed, and consumed. As much as we may want it to be an art form, it is seen as commodity by most. However, one way to keep music a little more consistent for us (musicians), is to Feedback

make your art within a community. Taking civic responsibility into account, create that community if it doesn’t already exist.“ — COLIN DEKUIPER Office, Russian Circles “The key to success in music is not putting all of your eggs in one basket, but being sure to put all of your eggs in baskets. Most of the seasoned folks I know don’t even get excited about a tour until they see the routing, don’t even mention a placement until they are watching it on TV. And when one opportunity is looking great, it doesn’t stop them from moving on five other fronts at the same time. I am proud to be from the first generation of musicians that dismantled the myth of making it and then kicking up your feet while the money rolls in. The most successful people I know continue to be the best and most motivated networkers I know. At a master class with Ray Brown he said “you are always auditioning” and I think about that everytime I try to put on a great show or presentation in a less than ideal setting. In addition to diversifying your options it is imperative to articulate a couple goals with the people involved in your career, whether that be fellow band members, management, record label et cetera. Discussing expectations and goals can help give a project drive and focus.” — SEAN MCPHERSON Heiruspecs

MUSIC JOURNALIST

BRENDAN MANLEY

Brendan Manley is the Contributing Editor to Alternative Press Magazine. Tell me a little about who you are and what got you into journalism. I’m 36, and have been doing this insane profession for about 15 years now. I started as an intern at my local entertainment weekly in my senior year of college and haven’t looked back since. Had you always wanted to write for a magazine? No, what I really wanted was to be in a real touring band, but since that didn’t happen, this was a great way to redirect my love of music, and sharing music with others. As for my format of choice, I’d say mags were always what appealed to me most. I grew up reading all the music mags, from Rolling Stone and Spin to full-on hair-metal cheese like Hit Parader, R.I.P. and Metal Edge (I started reading AP later on, in college). Once I got to be clubgoing age the local weekly arts newspapers became important, too (and later, I started out by working at one) but I think the look and feel of a glossy mag has always been the image I’ve had in my head of how I want my pieces to look. When I hand my copy over to my fellow editors at AP, it’s just a plain Word doc, so I’m 22

just as excited as anyone to see the final art and layouts. Ok, we have hundreds of music and music business students here. Let’s talk a little about getting your music covered in a magazine like Alternative Press. Mostly, I cover the music that appeals to me, for whatever reason. That’s the great privilege that comes with a job like mine -- you get to be a taste-maker of sorts. Plus, I also tend to stray from the crowd in my thinking, so therefore it makes it all the more important for me to feel like I’ve put some of my own personality and perception into the general editorial direction. So basically if you want to be covered, you need to be on my radar somehow, like any other band out there I might be listening

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to. You’d recruit me like you would any other fan -- by presenting me with great music, playing great live shows, touring incessantly, etc. Sure, sometimes other people at AP will make suggestions for various reasons, or scheduling might dictate covering a certain band, but usually it’s just me trying to throw some love to the people I think deserve the ink the most at the moment. It can be a real drag to spend time writing about bands you don’t give a crap about, unless you’re trashing their new record. Let’s say I have a country-funk project I am working on, would it be worth my time sending you a copy? Sure! My tastes are all over the place. I can go from As I Lay Dying to Elvis Costello all in the same car ride. Isn’t that the beauty of music? What is protocol for following up with you? How do I know you got the record I sent? I prefer email for all communication. And if you don’t hear back from me, don’t take it personally, or worry. I most likely got the record, and if I’m interested, you’ll hear from me. Should I call you every day or every other day? Don’t call me. I’m not a phone person. And if you call me every day/ every other day, I can guarantee you will not be getting coverage. Again, don’t take it personally -I just have very limited time and not only is email quick and efficient, I can save a digital paper trail of our communications, instead of just relying on my rapidly deteriorating memory. So please, don’t dial – type! Could I pay you to review my CD? Are you kidding? Absolutely not, under any circumstances. Why not? Not only would this potentially damage the credibility of the magazine, it would violate every shred of journalistic ethics I have, and would put my reputation at stake, which is worth a lot more than you probably have budgeted for marketing. I’d never risk a career I’ve spent so long building just to make some easy cash. There are other ways I can do that, legitimately.

“ YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU’LL END UP, BUT IF YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING SOMETHING YOU TRULY LOVE, AND TRY TO BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE AT DOING IT, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FALL INTO PLACE.”

I went to Sears and got these sweet photos do you prefer color or B&W prints? Color, hi-res JPG files, 300 dpi or more If I saw you at a show would it be weird to ask you about my record then? Nope, that’s fine. Come by and say hello! If I’m out at a gig, it’s social time. That’s why I’m there. If I meet you face to face you’ve got a huge advantage over everyone else; there’s no substitute for a personal connection.

My band sounds exactly like Converge only better. You cover Converge, but you won’t write me back. How come? Because every genre has a slew of “copy-cat” bands. That doesn’t mean your band sucks, it’s just that maybe I only have so many hours in a week that I spend bashing my head to post-hardcore, and if you haven’t cracked into my rotation, you might as well not exist to me personally. Converge, for example, is a legendary band with a substantial track record and a widespread fan base, so of course we’re going to cover everything they do. If you want to get coverage, you need to put your time in -- both in the studio and on the road -- so you can show some consistency; also, find something unique about yourself and develop it, and have lots of fans that demand reading about you.

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Do you have any final advice for music students graduating today? Have a backup plan! Also, be open to where your life takes you, and the random opportunities that may come your way. Learn all you can from the people you work for/with. You never know where you’ll end up, but if you spend your time doing something you truly love, and try to be the best you can be at doing it, everything else will fall into place. Nowadays you can do so much on your own, whether it’s touring, booking shows or starting your own label, so if you have an idea or dream, pursue it! Don’t let anyone talk you out of it; what you’ll find in the end is that those who “do” usually succeed, in part because so many other people “don’t.” As the old saying goes, half the battle is simply showing up. Creatively, you should always be open to new things, and the more you travel, the greater your perception of the world will become. Drink it up, and then use it!

ARTIST & REPERTOIRE

shocked at how fast we all clicked, and how many people truly took me under their wing and taught me. It’s like a family here.

ADAM SKATULA

What does A&R look like at a label like Tooth & Nail? For me, it mostly looks different every day. At the end of the day, I want the bands to feel truly cared about and supported. My day is spent doing all things business end to help their vision become realized. It’s a whole bunch of marketing plans, publicity, setting up schedules with producers, contracts, radio work, video editing, video/photo shoot coordinating, and more, put together to give a record as much momentum as it can possibly have when it comes out.

McNally Smith alumni Adam Skatula fought his way into an internship with Seattle’s Tooth & Nail Records. Upon graduating he was hired on help run A&R for the label. Hi, Adam. What you are doing these days? I just started working at Tooth & Nail full-time at the beginning of this year doing A&R. I finally got everything moved to Seattle, and everything’s been great so far. I recently finished up with the new August Burns Red record, and everything is looking and feeling like it went well. I have a pretty heavy fall schedule of releases, and am trying to sign a couple new bands. What is Tooth & Nail? Tooth & Nail is a record label that started in Seattle in 1993. We mostly work in the rock world. There’s a couple sub-labels, one (BEC) that does more contemporary Christian groups and one (Solid State) geared toward heavier hardcore and metal bands. I mostly work with the Solid State and Tooth & Nail bands. What brought you to McNally Smith College of Music? I found out about McNally Smith from some family who lives in the Twin Cities. I had always felt a call on my heart to pursue a life in music, and it seemed like a place that I could learn a lot and meet some people who had similar goals.

Talk a little about what the internship process was like. Well, it started by realizing how horrible I am at putting together résumés. It was a crazy couple of months of multiple meetings in Career Services. Overall, though, it was a pretty amazing experience – watching all of the pieces come together in the perfect way to finally get to the point where I was doing a phone interview with Tooth & Nail. Seriously, how amazing is the Career Services department? Honestly, those guys are actually the main reason that I am here now. They wouldn’t take no for an answer, and were always battling for

me. I have actually been told by my coworkers here that the only reason they called me for an interview was because the Career Services folks were so persistent and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I love those people and would do anything for them. I was blessed to have them on my team. What shocked you most about starting at the internship with Tooth & Nail? More than anything, probably just how great the staff was. I was pretty Feedback

The other main piece of the job is looking for new bands. That always is a long process, but is rewarding at the end. What did you do to stand out in the office? Actually, I kind of approached it as what could I do to blend in. I tried to just be myself and work hard. Luckily, everybody’s sense of humor here is pretty similar and everybody truly has a passion for making and/or supporting music that we believe in. That kind of bonded us all together. Oh, and also I got really good at our Galaga arcade machine, and hopefully earned a whole bunch of respect that way. If you don’t know what Galaga is, that’s your bad.

DO IT YOURSELF

5 Tips for

Breaking out of the System Scott LeGere, Music Business Faculty and Founder of NOWARE (noware.com)

01.

Take Their Money Recording engineer George Massenberg has a great quote, “The day job is the new record deal.” In many ways, I think he’s right. Making art (or records, or whatever) has always been a challenging financial endeavor. All great composers, Mozart and the like, leveraged patronage and the support of benefactors to finance their work. It can be much the same today. I have a friend in the insurance business who has an SSL console in his basement. His day job helps finance his passion, making records. The good news is that there are more and more really exciting jobs in media industries (film, mobile, software, social media marketing, etc.) that could help pay the rent as you develop your personal creative goals.

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Learn the Tough Stuff on Their Dime Established businesses can teach us a lot. Ever thought about starting your own studio, or label, or other business? Well, before you do, work for someone else. Understand how business operates. With a day job, you can get a primer from your boss on business insurance, accounting, incorporating, and a host of other issues. And, you don’t have to pay for it. This type of immersive learning and observation can be invaluable as you’re learning directly from experienced leaders and business owners.

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Find Out What Be the Office Social Butterfly Your Neighbor Does Day jobs are also a fast way to meet people. With a job at a local club, radio station, or advertising firm, you’re going to be on the fast track to meeting half of the creatives in any given city. That’s the exciting thing about creative media jobseveryone in those industries is just like us, artists, who are pursuing a fun job in order to help fund their personal projects. The Creative Director at the ad firm could be a drummer, and the Graphic Designer might be into recording and mixing. Working in these industries can help you meet interesting folks and develop your personal network faster than you’d ever imagine even if you took every gig in the city.

Opportunities at big companies can be diverse. And the exposure to various parts of the business machine that you weren’t previously aware of might just be what you need to find your own creative passion. My wife was an English major and got a job at NPR, but started hanging out with the graphic designers on the other side of her cubicle because what they were doing looked interesting. Kelly has been a full-time graphic designer for the past 15 years now with globally recognized clients like Apple and Harvard University. But, it took that exposure to a different part of the industry for her to see a potential opportunity.

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You Can Handle Anything for a Year Nothing lasts forever. Sometimes, we avoid applying for day jobs because they probably aren’t our immediate creative calling. That said, the income, network, and opportunities that arise from working in other fields within the media industry can be really beneficial. So, use one of these jobs for a year until your next opportunity materializes. Most US Department of Labor statistics suggest that we’re all going to have 10-15 jobs over the course of our lifetimes. The bottom line is: Don’t worry about getting stuck somewhere. Realize the tremendous benefits of the day job and use these positions as platforms and stepping stones for your next creative leap that could be coming next year. Bio: For the past 15 years, Scott LeGere has played key roles in the ownership and operation of audio recording facilities, independent record labels, and commercial music production companies. As a musician, engineer, and producer, Scott’s work has received critical acclaimed and contributed to a Grammy Nomination with the Brian Setzer Orchestra for Best Rock Instrumental in 2009, and most recently a Bronze Lion in the 2010 Cannes International Advertising Awards. 25

FILM COMPOSER

SEAN McMAHON

future income from that movie. Of course, if the production company can’t afford to pay the composer an acceptable upfront fee, the composer can negotiate for what’s called the publisher’s share of royalties. Obviously it pays (literally) to be a savvy businessperson and a skilled negotiator.

McNally Smith faculty member Sean McMahon has worked in various roles on film scores for major motion pictures including Spider-Man 3 and Dreamgirls, and most recently composed the score for The Grudge 3. Tell me a little about how composers make money. In fact, when you’re starting off as a composer you actually might lose money at first. In feature film, for example, if you are scoring a film and need to pay for a recording studio and musicians, those expenses can actually exceed the composer’s fee the production company is paying you to write the film score.

On the flip side, for a typical Hollywood studio feature film, the composer is usually getting paid somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per film. And that doesn’t even include future royalties he or she will earn on that movie. Obviously pay varies widely and there are many factors that lead to a composer’s earning abilities. Where does most composers music end up these days? Most commercial music today is written for some form of media. This can be a movie, television, a radio jingle, video games, music libraries, theater – there really is no limit. It’s actually unusual that a composer can make a living today just by writing music to be performed in the concert hall. 26

So, the pay is somewhat tied to the media for which it was written. In general, a feature film will pay more than a documentary. The video game industry now is rapidly growing. This is where I see the most potential right now – especially compared to feature films where budgets are decreasing.

How much does reputation come into play? It seems that a lot of current film composers come from the world of popular music. Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Stuart Copeland (The Police), and Trevor Rabin (Yes) all come to mind. Since they all gained fame as rock stars before they decided to become composers, they had an advantage when working toward scoring. For someone who is not a rock star, the path to success is less of a direct line. There are more zigs

Looking at films, music budgets usually are at about 0.5% of the overall movie budget. So if the film costs $2,000,000 to make, the total music budget will be around $10,000. The composer’s fee and any other expenses (such as recording musicians and studios) will have to be paid out of that $10,000. What are the differences between royalties and buy-outs? Royalties are a form of passive income where the producers of a film (or other type of media) pay you a fee to use your music every time it is broadcast. For example, if you turn on the TV and see that The Grudge 3 is playing, I’ll have made some money tonight since I wrote the music for that movie. The next time my performance royalty organization sends me a royalty check, I’ll see The Grudge 3 listed on the statement and see how much money it generated for me. A buy-out is when the production company pays a flat fee, and owns the financial rights to any future use of the music. In the case of a buy-out, the composer is in a better position to negotiate a higher upfront fee to write the music, since he or she will not enjoy Feedback

and zags, but it can be achieved. The majority of film composers today are examples of this. A composer’s reputation can also pay high dividends. For example, the composer with the greatest reputation is John Williams. He is credited with helping in the enormous success of such blockbusters as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter (amongst many others), because of his moving and impressive film scores. Because of this, he rarely asks directors to score their films. In fact it’s just the opposite: He has directors knocking down his door, asking him to score their films.

PRODUCER / ENGINEER

Why do you work in Seattle? Do you ever thinking of moving to L.A. or New York? I moved to Seattle out of college because it still had a vital music scene, though not as big as it was in 1992. I don’t think I need to move, but if I did I would likely move to L.A. New York is too expensive to put together a studio that would meet my needs.

Producer and engineer Matt Bayles has, over the last 16 years, worked with everyone from the Deftones and Queensryche to Mastodon and Mono. He currently owns and operates Red Room Studios out of Seattle where he has recently recorded both The Sword and Cursive.

Tell me about your space. What is Red Room like? Red Room is low-key, but a superbly equipped studio. We have a Pro Tools HD rig and a Studer analog 24-track. Our console is a Trident 80C, which is an old British board – great for rock. We can track drums and get a pretty great room sound even though it isn’t a huge room. We also have a great selection of outboard gear that each have different character. Knowing those nuances can really impact a record’s tone.

Hey Matt, what do you do? I produce, engineer and mix records for bands. I also own a recording studio, Red Room Recording. I was in Minus the Bear for the first five years of its existence.

Being outside of it, I always feel like technology is changing dayby-day. iIt must be exhausting. What is the right balance between chasing gear and working with what you have? Well, if you own a studio you are always juggling need versus want. There are many pieces of equipment that I would like to have, but not that I need. You try new pieces and see if they fill a gap in your complement of gear. If it ends up not doing the job, you resell it and see what else comes along.

How many projects do you have going on right now? At the moment I have one underway which won’t be finished for a few months, and I start a different project soon that will last about a month. Did you play in any bands before you got into production? Not really. I played guitar and wasn’t too bad at it, but joining a band was never a focus of mine until the perfect opportunity came along to be in Minus the Bear. How much does being a musician impact your work with other artists? I wouldn’t be anywhere as a producer without that knowledge. The engineering side of things may not require as in-depth a musical knowledge as producing does, but musical knowledge is key to being to able to communicate with musicians.

Plus since Red Room isn’t a for-hire facility, we don’t have to cater to other people’s whims. How do you decide what bands you work with? That depends. First and foremost I want to like what they do. But sometimes if things are slow I may not be as choosy. Other primary consideration is budget. It takes time to make a record well, and if there isn’t the budget to get enough time then that can be something that keeps me from working with a band.

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MATT BAYLES

What parts of running a business have been hardest for you to adjust too? Just the day to day minutiae. Keeping it clean, that sort of thing. I don’t really have interns around, so I am often stuck doing a lot of the cleaning on top of the work of making the record I am working on. Otherwise, it has been pretty mellow because I can keep it busy. I believe another move is likely, so that will be stressful whenever it happens. I’m hoping to find something I can settle into for more than four years. But we’ll see how that goes.

Mono

What things should a young engineer be doing now to best set themselves up for success? That’s a tough one. Try to learn from people who have been doing it for a long time. Making records is more than just learning Pro Tools. Be humble and don’t stop learning. Thanks for taking the time to talk. Any final advice to someone coming out of school today? Same as above. Try to learn from people with experience and try and meet young bands to make records with. Helping up-and-coming bands succeed is how I made my name.

ARTIST MANAGEMENT

JOSH ROTH

Josh Roth is based out of NYC and manages Barsuk recording artist Ra Ra Riot. He spends his days jugging tour schedules, arranging interviews and seeing that the band and their business are handled in the best light possible. Hi Josh, thanks for taking the time to talk. My pleasure!

was balancing the rep job as well as booking and doing all the marketing for the school’s concert board and my own basement shows. During my last semester, one of my roommates mentioned that she was joining a band and they would be practicing in our basement. I laughed at the idea at first but was pleasantly surprised one day when I awoke from a nap to them writing their first song, “Dying Is Fine.” From that moment, I started doing anything I could for the band. Got them into a studio, started booking shows nearly three times a week within the area, brought them to New York for their first show while they were on spring break. After I graduated, I started working at Epic Records as well as managing the band. I quickly realized what my true calling was and decided to leave the label to focus on management fulltime. My goal is to continue to grow Light Fiction Management and work with a select group of artists that I truly love. How do you decide who you manage? The amount of time and energy I put into managing bands becomes a huge deciding factor. If I’m going to invest that much into a band it really needs to be something I’m really passionate about. Before I

So let’s start with what you do day-to-day. The day-to-day changes constantly. Our biggest goal is to take the band’s vision and music and work with their team to execute those ideas. We focus on marketing plans for the album release, working with the agent on planning and confirming tours, promoting the tours, recording plans, and more. Today we spent most of the day planning a press release for a tour announcement going out next week. Making sure everyone on the team was aware of the plan and able to promote the information once it gets announced. How did you get involved in management? I started to manage bands as early as high school. While at Syracuse University, my plan was to study marketing with a minor in their music industry program. During my sophomore year I had become a rep for Sony Music, which ended up being my first real step into the music industry. Throughout school I 28

Ra Ra Riot Feedback

got involved in management, I was first a music fan, so it needs to be a band that I have a real reaction to and can listen to over and over again. It needs to be something that I can talk about all day long without getting sick of, as well as seeing a long-term future for what the band or artist is doing. When should an artist look for management? An artist should always be on the lookout for a manager. So much of this industry is about networking. As cliché as it sounds, knowing more people will open more opportunities for you. Bringing more people to your team (lawyer, booking agent, publicist, label), the more your world expands. If you can find a good manager, ideally they can bring a lot of contacts and opportunities to help you get your music out there. Do you have any advice for anyone graduating today looking to get involved in music? Get creative. The old model is gone and it’s all about new ideas and finding ways to introduce music outside of simply pressing a record and selling it in stores.

DO IT YOURSELF

Be Heard: 5 Tips on Getting Your Music Out in the World Tom Loftus, Student Services Coordinator & Founder, Modern Radio Record Label (modern-radio.com)

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12 years ago, when I started my record label, CD was king. Vinyl was for true collectors and cassettes were for making mixes for that special someone. Getting your CDs in stores around the country was incredibly difficult and you’d have to spend a lot of money just to make your music available in small record stores around the country. Now, services like CDBaby and Tunecore help musicians make their music available to the entire planet. They charge nominal fees and allow you to get your music out to anyone who has an Internet connection and a credit card.

Emailing a ton of people randomly about your music is never a bad thing, but you need to get out in the world if you want to reach people. It’s important to go out and see other musicians perform and make those connections. Of the 50+ releases on my label, I have seen every artist perform live and in some cases, I have seen them perform live 100 times. Never underestimate the personal connection in this digital world.

Back in the early days of hip-hop, artists would literally sell cassette tapes out of the back of their trunk. Ludacris, Eminem, Master P, 50 Cent and tons of other artists got their start doing this. Keep physical copies of your music on hand as much as it is reasonably possible. It’s the musician’s business card. I have seen far too many artists play shows where they didn’t have a copy of their album along with them to sell. In some cases I have sought out the music because I really wanted it, but in other cases, I just forgot who the band was and never gave it a second thought. Have your music available and bring it to the people!

Digital is the New CD

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Know Your Audience This is important when figuring out what to do with your recording. I just told you that digital is the future, but know that there will always be people who want a physical copy of the album. It could be a custom-designed thumb drive or it could actually be a cassette. It could be something simple like a T-shirt or poster that includes a digital download. It depends on your audience and what format they prefer. If you can afford it, it’s nice to cover all the bases and have a million different formats, but in the end, you’re better off figuring out what your audience really wants.

Pound the Pavement

Hustle

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Leak Yourself Music as a commodity has changed over the years. Back in the day, you could get all the music you wanted for free if you booked a club, met up with band members or wrote for a major music publication. Now, if you have an Internet connection and a basic understanding of Google or YouTube, you can listen to almost any piece of music in the world. You don’t have to give away all your music free but it’s good to share a taste of what you have to offer. Look at it as a way for people to test-drive your music. It’s easier to consider buying the album when you have gotten a taste of what is in store.

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DO IT YOURSELF

5 tips for nailing your audition

Shon Parker, Assistant Department Head – Voice, Summer Programs Coordinator

Auditions can be daunting. Success can be scary. There are myriad “whatto-dos.” One could seriously spend a week thinking about the proper way to prepare for audition success without actually doing anything. Getting started usually seems tough. But you can seriously up your ante -- a few steps in the right direction will greatly sway your chances to go from sweeping the stage to owning it.

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Just Show Up:

You might roll your eyes, but this is the most important step in any audition. I could rattle off eight instances right now where I gave someone an audition opportunity. They were all ready to do it and ended up just not showing up. From simple excuses like “I didn’t find a ride” or “I couldn’t figure out the bus schedule,” to the insecure person with huge talent who says, “I don’t think I was right for it,” it doesn’t matter. Your job is to show up and put your heart and soul out for someone, to expose all that you fear and all that you define yourself with. It is that simple.

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Don’t Make Excuses:

“So I just got over this nasty cold, but I’ll give it my best.” “I’m working two jobs right now, so I didn’t get to look at the material as well as I would’ve liked.” “My grandma had her friends over for bridge last night, and they busted out the body shots, so I hardly slept last night.” If you’re there, you’re there! You’re going for it and the judges appreciate that – so don’t insult them and yourself by throwing out meaningless excuses.

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I’m actually stealing this one. A well-renowned educator and musician I studied under said this in my presence at least 4,372 times. And it makes sense! Five minutes is nothing. Five minutes can disappear from some unexpected squirrel attack (they HAPPEN) like nothing. People who show up late get fired. Why would an audition be any different? I don’t have to tell you about first impressions, do I?

Again, do a little research already! “Caro Mio Ben” from the 20 Italian Arias book is not the choice for an audition for a comedic musical theater gig. Nor is it a great choice for any contemporary audition. Neil Diamond’s “We’re Coming To America” won’t work for a lot of situations, unless the gig involves excessive chest hair and a god complex. Be smart about your song choice. Find something that will both showcase your voice qualities and abilities while at the same time showing you understand what this audition is about. Technique is important. Love songs are important – but that doesn’t mean they’re pertinent. Choose the song that will fit the set list perfectly, that might not be in the show, but that makes the producer think, “Damn, that song should be in this show!” BOOM. Hired.

Five Minutes Early is Ten Minutes Late:

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Dress the Part:

I’m not saying wear a tux, Pavarotti. I’m also saying don’t wear an old ratty sweater, Cobain. No vinyl boots, Gaga. Well, maybe not. Think about what you’re getting yourself into. What are you auditioning for? I sure wouldn’t wear a button-up shirt and a suit jacket to a rock band audition, but you can bet your buttons on that button-up shirt I’d wear that for a jazz combo gig. Build your image for that audition. And by “your image” I really mean their image. Appropriate attire shows your intentions and interest in what you’re auditioning for. Trust me, not thinking about that will most definitely be evident in your audition. Feedback

Choosing the Appropriate Material:

Credits

Editor in Chief: David Lewis Copy Editor: Scott Donaldson Creative Director/Designer: Matt Lunneborg Contributing Writers: Tom Loftus, Scott LeGere, Shon Parker, Sean McMahon, Matt Lunneborg Pitchfork Music Festival Photo Credits: MIchael John Stangler (2010), Christian Betancourt (2011) Assembled and conceived by McNally Smith College of Music Department of Career Services Director: David Lewis, david.lewis@mcnallysmith.edu Internship & Industry Coordinator: Sarah Williamson. sarah.williamson@mcnallysmith.edu Career Advisor: Aundrea Billings, aundrea.billings@mcnallysmith.edu Thank you and props to the following for their support and patience: Chris Baronner, Che Arthur, James McCalister, Kyle Frenette, Robin Laananen, Bekah Zietz, Jason Gnewikow, Brandan Manley, Adam Skatula, Scott LeGere, Sean McMahon, Matt Bayles, Josh Roth, Tom Loftus, Shon Parker, Harry Chalmiers, Jan Weller, Christopher Blood, Susan Brezny, Steve Cole, Judi Donaghy, Cliff Wittstruck, John Krogh, Gary Gratz, Joel Cooper, Scott Donaldson, Matt Lunneborg, Dave Olson, Nolan Kaiser, Sarah Souder Johnson, Brian Burton, J. Anthony Allen, Emily Gary, Jeff Tickle For more information visit feedback.mcnallysmith.edu

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