TIP OF THE WEEK #04 - EDUCATING YOURSELF TO BE A SELF-PRODUCED ARTIST

When I was a young lad, I was totally interested in music, as I grew older I remember there was an album by Aldo Nova called "Fantasy" and I remember Aldo Nova on some late night news clip or magazine interview talking about how he played all of the instruments on this album. 

It fascinated me that he could record everything himself.   I was unaware that it was even possible.  Fast forward a few years later, I receive a Guitar Player or similar magazine with a Flexible Record in it and it contained a song called, "Blue Powder" by Steve Vai, and it blew my mind as I read the interview on how he built his first studio. 

Steve Vai was always able to share knowledge in a way that allowed even the teenager mind to understand that its possible to record music themselves.

Before I get too far off track.  What do you need to do to start your own production?  Well you have to have access to recording equipment (a laptop and a microphone and mixer/interface)   You need someone to make noise to record (hopefully that is you).  Now the rest of it is where it can become a rabbit hole.

Don't worry about how good your mics are or your space or your recording medium.  What's important is your desire to continue to learn.  Educate yourself on four very important aspects.

1. Songwriting and Song Structure
2. Recording, Mixing, Mastering & Duplication Processes
3. Copyright, Publishing, Distribution & Marketing Techniques.
4. Business Administration, Company Ownership Structure, Taxes, Inventory Control, Income Management, Expense Management

Now you may say Jp that.is a lot more than four things.  well it is... but In all reality those three areas are what's necessary to know if you are going to SELF-PRODUCE a record.

I am not in this short blog post going to teach all of these areas. But I am going to try to pick each one of these areas over the next few months and delve deeper into them.  I will try to give you some resources that were helpful to me over the past three decades of studying the music business.

You see one of the issues that many musicians have is that if they are not a big star then they are not successful.  However that is wrong way to look are you current situation.  And comparing yourself to (insert favorite artist) and thinking you are not ready to learn about these things is incorrect.

NOW at whatever level in music business you are at is the time to began learning your craft.  Steve Vai whom is my hero on a business level more so than on a guitar player level.  Made it clear that he took to heart the words of Frank Zappa on the music business.  I also listened to these words that cme through in interviews both in print and later on the internet.

You have to look at music as James Brown said.  It is NOT the music business,  its music AND business. Whether you are trying to sell 1,000 copies of a single or 1,000,000 copies of an album.  The process is the same.  I hope to shed some light on any of you who might be interested in truly working on your career, something I have been doing everyday for 2-1/2 decades.
Until next week...