How do you sell yourself? What has been your experience with record companies and representatives?
We (BalloonMan) like to let the music and performance speak as much as possible, but you have to hassle people to listen to you which I find difficult.
Make my demos really high quality recordings, and make my gigs really something to see, spend money and take my time, even though its tempting dont jump into gigs until the band cant sound any better or tighter, and book alot of studio time to really get the songs to a radio quality, let the music speak for itself to get the attention.
I don't have a career. I don't to make one to show the world who is me.
Oh, all the usual stuff - I have a website, and business cards, and I talk to people a lot...
Generally, positives experiences, I'm glad to say!
As a composer it is sometimes very difficult, especially since we generally don't work with agents. Sometimes it feels as though talent only accounts for a small portion of the way things go for a composer - knowing people in the business and being in the right place at the right time can be vitally important to a composer and their opportunities for getting commissions and performances.
Lately - in the past several years - I've been using the Internet a great deal to make contacts with musicians and that has resulted in several performances in places that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise arrange. Social media, such as Twitter, have also opened up opportunities to meet new people and develop possible inroads to performances and commissions.
In all honesty, the only experience I have with record companies comes through working with the CBC for the project in which I wrote the liner notes. At that time I broached the subject of a disc of new music and was told, in no uncertain terms, that "we aren't in a position to do that right now." Budget constraints make the recording of new music by most labels a non-starter. Many composers pay for the recording of their first disc, using it as a self-promotion tool in the hopes of getting some air-play and generating more interest in their work. That, however, is an expensive route to take - though I would like to take it some day, if finances allow.   | | |
I find record company execs usually closed-minded and rather ignorant of anything outside of one of their little smelly boxes. I've been looking to form an association with Care in the Community Recordings lately, who are very open to ideas. In the past all my albums have been released by wonderful "non-industry" labels like Gagarin, Soleilmoon, Womb and so on.
In general I operate outside of the "music industry" per se, and work through commissions, radio-art, etc.
Yes this is a weak point on my part, I do this with the great help of Alexandra, it is self distribution and self promotion and weak though it might be I like it like that, in reality.
internet.....independent.
Through honest interaction, establishing meaningful relationships or acquaintances with those I admire respect or find amusing oh and Twitter, Facebook. Those in the record biz that know my name or truly remember me after several meetings I respect those that pretend they do can continue to pretend and think they are slicker than the rest of us.
I'm with my management doing it ourselves, and made it to radios and national TVs. No label is not an issue for us.
Performing and online marketing. Record companies and representative really don't care about the talent it's all about artists who are selling themselves!!
Well I guess its all about the buzz and who you know and who they know. Alot of times people say they know someone but they dont. Everyone wants to be an Exec. But I receive alot of great feed back from the labels that i have sent my material too and i try to market myself on every networking site that I can get on.
Be the best I can be....Make sure your reasons for doing music are for the right ones.
Then the rest is up to them.
The industry is full of twats.
Very little interaction with them.
Maybe they don't like my stuff.
That's fine cos I do.
Not gone down that path, I dont think I could either. It is too much work for very little reward.
I find that dealing with that side of the industry to be frustrating, and there is so many bands and artists, that it really is 'take a number'. You have to be dedicated to your art, and this would mean sacrificing family, and I am getting too old for it to be my full time job. |
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