Expresso
Walk And Talk with..
8
Tips to Reboot or Get Your Mojo Back! Popular author David Cottrell
spells out "eight simple truths" to follow to achieve
career and life success. Acknowledging that at times we all need
to reboot, Tuesday Morning Coaching offers simple, memorable,
time-tested precepts for finding your best self. Eight is the magic
number but the ideas are not new. Here's a quick summary: 1.
No Matter What ... accept responsibility and move forward .
2. And Then Some ... give more than is expected 3. Consider
it Done ... do what you say you will do. 4. Above All Else
... hold fast to your values. 5. From Now On ... learn from
mistakes and welcome change. 6. See It, Feel It, Trust It, Do
It ... set, envision, share and take action on your goals 7.
Focus Inside Your Boat ... invest your time in things you can
control 8. Knowledge is Power ... read, listen, observe
and learn. Available in Kindle, paperback or audio cd from Amazon
Ascap Expo I Create Music studioexpresso attended ASCAP I
Create Music Expo (April 28-30 in Hollywood) to hear what
producer-musician-designer-entrepreneur-style icon Pharrell Williams
had to say on Music Creation.
He spoke of a "Devine Fire" that jump started his humble
beginnings. He spoke of the importance of music mentors like Ted
Riley and Puff for him. He emphasized the value of curiosity, knowledge
and working at what he calls the "fourth dimension."
"It's like not knowing what shoe you want to wear until you
see someone wearing it well. Then you got to have it. Music is the
same." Pharell spoke of the new industry where margins are
different. "Now you can make music videos that cost 1million
for $80-300K. This allows more creative people to get involved,"
Pharell as part of The Neptunes, has produced numerous hit singles
for various artists, earning three Grammy Awards for his work, including
Producer of the Year.
He has written and produced records for a Whos Who of musical
stars across the spectrum, including Nelly, Britney Spears, Justin
Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Daddy Yankee, Snoop Dogg,
Madonna, Maroon 5, Shakira, The Hives and the Gorillaz, among others.
Not content to work in one genre, he has created hip-hop, R&B,
pop and funk-rock with his own group, N.E.R.D. A savvy businessman
as well as an accomplished music creator, he is the co-founder of
the clothing brands Billionaire
Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear. Ascap session with Pharrell
on April 30th at the Renaissance Hotel grand ballroom explored what
can be accomplished when you have talent, ambition, vision, a knack
for collaboration, and the knowledge of how to focus those gifts
into a smart and successful career. For
those of you who missed the show, consider purchasing an Online
EXPO Panel Video Access Passcode for $149 to view the panels for
yourself at http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/
New projects: Pharell is working with an iconic bike company that's
over 10 years old, located out in Brooklyn. "They do a lot
of dope collaborations. We did one with Supreme," says Pharell
who has also created an art site through which he showcases emerging
artists, Artst.com
and continues work with Takashi
Murakami. NERD's
new album "Nothing" is out now! Pharells advice to musicians
"Just record it and be different. It lasts longer." Someone
from the audience asked how he has built an empire. "Do it
becasue you want to do it, not becasue you want to build an empire,"
Pharell said.
Len
Blavatnik, Chairman and founder of Access Industries is officially
acquiring Warner Music Group in an all-cash transaction valued at
$3.3 billion. The purchase includes WMGs entire recorded music
and music publishing businesses. The purchase price of $8.25 per
share represents a 34.4% premium over the volume-weighted average
share price of $6.14 over the previous six months. "Access
supports Warner Musics commitment to our recording artists
and songwriters who are the foundation of our current and future
success, said WMGs Chairman and CEO, Edgar Bronfman,
Jr. Since a class action has now been filed on behalf of unhappy
WMG shareholders. New York-based law firm Brower Piven, alleges
that a number of unfair advantages are falling in Len Blavatnik's
favor. That includes a longtime personal relationship with Edgar
Bronfman, Jr., as well as a longtime position on the Warner board.
The case has been filed with the New York State Supreme Court. Higher
offers include: $8.50-per-share proposed offer from a "Consortium
B," alleged to be Sony/ATV, Guggenheim Partners and Ron Perelman
by Bloomberg. Billionaire brothers Tom and Alec Gores were also
back with offers.
Live Nation
Goes UPS. As an 'Official Sustainability Partner,' UPS will
help Live Nation focus on carbon neutral shipping and event-based
logistics. That includes shuttling equipment and band members from
place to place, and helping bands reduce waste. UPS is the exclusive
global package, shipping and logistics sponsor of Live Nation Entertainment
and select Live Nation tours and venues. So, initiatives can be
rolled across different gigs and tours with some scale. Smart!
Photo:
Phil Spector, the early years.
Spector's
Legacy As Producer Honored at The 130st Audio Engineering Convention
held at the Novotel London West Convention Center during May
13-16, 2011.
Hosted
by AES,
the APRS and producer/musician Barry Marshall,
the session offered a presentation on Phil Spector And The Legacy
of The Svengali Producer.
As influential as he is controversial, Phil Spector created an unrivaled
legacy of innovative music production techniques and, a priceless
treasure of unforgettable music performances. This
in-depth exploration of Spector's genius, credited him for literal
creation of the role of the record producer. Marshall traced Spector's
evolution, from his early career as an artist, his apprenticeship
with Atlantic Records and Leiber & Stoller, his flowering as
a producer-mogul with his Philles record label, his initial "retirement"
in 1967, his reinvention as the producer of John Lennon and George
Harrison and his later work with artists like the Ramones. The lecture
emphasized Spector's evolution from the initial creation of his
"Wall of Sound" through his Svengali-like approach to
artist development.
Barry Weiss, Larry Jackson and Lucian
Grainge at Universal, Doug
Morris at Sony and Roger
Flaxton of EMI.
The Executives Shuffle - Universal, Warner and Sony In a high-level
corporate talent swap, a number of Sony executives are expected
to move to Universal in the coming months, including Barry Weiss,
the chairman of Sony's RCA/Jive Label Group, who is expected to
head up Universal's operations in New York. Earlier this year New
York Times reporter Ben Sisario wrote about the ensuing executive
moves. Six months later changes are taking place. First Universal
hired Larry Jackson, former executive vice president of A&R
at Sony (its rival company) as executive VP of Interscope Geffen
A&M, a family of labels whose artists include U2, Eminem and
Lady Gaga. At Interscope, Mr. Jackson works under Jimmy Iovine,
Interscopes chairman, who recently took on an additional public
role as an in-house talent coach on Foxs American Idol.
Another top Universal executive, Ron Fair (Black Eyed Peas
and the Pussycat Dolls) is leaving his post as chairman of Geffen
Records and move into a new position on American Idol.
Last year that show signed a distribution deal with Universal, ending
a long association with Sony. Mr. Jackson, 30, started his career
in radio as a teenager in San Francisco, was hired by the music
mogul Clive Davis of J Records in 2000, and he has since worked
with Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears, among others
Antonio Reid, chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group
another cluster of Universal labels, whose acts include Kanye
West, Justin Bieber and Rihanna has declined an offer to
run a new boutique label for the company and is said to have a year
left on his contract with Island Def Jam. In January Lucian Grainge,
49 became the chief executive of Universal Music Group. Amy Winehouse,
U2 and the reformed Take That. When Amy MacDonald, the singer, went
to see him, Mr Grainge persuaded her to sign to Universal by sending
a chair to her manager, who had admired it in his office. The chair
came with a note: Sign with us and you get the set.
She did. Mr Grainge, who started out as a teenage talent scout for
April Music in 1978, says that his aim is to make Universal Music,
in his words, the hostess with the mostess. That means
working with as diverse a range of distributors as possible. One
of his first decisions when he takes over will be whether to support
Spotifys move to America. The
announcement was made in March by Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and President, Sony Corporation that Doug
Morris, 72 will start as CEO effective July 1, 2011. Morris
began his music career as a songwriter and music producer in 1965
after graduating from Columbia University. He sold his first record
label, Big Tree Records, in 1978 to Atlantic Records. Two years
later, he was named CEO of Atlantic. Morris heads to Sony as the
company's music revenue erodes. In the quarter ended Dec. 31, Sony
Music sales were $1.7 billion, down 14.5% from a year earlier. The
unit's operating profits slumped 15.7% to $241 million in the quarter.
Sony blamed the decline on deteriorating CD sales. Barry
Weiss, the RCA chief executive was also signed by Universal and
is to start the undisclosed job after his contract with Sony ended
in April. In the midst of all its high-level executive changes,
Universal is also trimming 60 administrative and technical jobs
as part of broad cost-cutting measures. The current economic
climate dictates that we continue to look for more efficient ways
to run our business, a Universal spokesman, Peter LoFrumento,
said in a statement confirming the layoffs. So we are taking
steps to reduce costs while increasing our creative investment in
a number of new areas and new businesses.
Life Is Better with Music. Girl
Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland
will reach thousands of Girl Scouts and their parents across the
country, delivering the message that you can have a Better
Life with Music. The fun, interactive curriculum co-developed
by Roland and Girl Scouts of the USA gets girls pumped up about
making music and music education. Girl Scouts Rock! is designed
to provide girls ages 8-14 with a hands-on experience playing popular
music, an opportunity fewer girls are receiving due to school music
budget cuts. Former Girl Scout and Disney star Shelby
Spalione, previous lead singer of the all-girl teen rock band
KSM, will also be on hand to sing with the Rockin Roland Girls
Band. Spalione, 17, who opened for the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato
last year as lead singer of KSM, is currently working on a solo
project.
artist
expresso-- Ask Claris
"Please Listen to My Song" says a musician with a tongue
and cheek sign at ASCAP Expo 2011
Artists write or call us every day from all corners
of the world -- US, France, Germany, Russian, Israel, Asia, Australia
and Middle East. Most are interested to get heard or build their
careers. Now and then we'll feature a letter or feedback and share
our picks. Our goal remains to empower new artists and encourage
them to find their voice and musical path. Most importantly, we're
here to remind the artists that it's a long journey, so enjoy the
process and grow your fan base.
We encourage artists to provide a link to their music site when
they contact us...if you're interested to have a producer or mixer
involved, specify number of songs, budget and desired delivery date.
Meantime, visit production
talent at studioexpresso to find the right production partner
for you.
Let us know if you would enjoy having us host pre-production sessions
from host studios where industry can hear your music and offer suggestions
and resources. Send an email with "I want to get heard"
in the subject line to [email protected]
Gary Clark
Jr Signs to WB
It's summer
time. You're taking a traditional Bavarian boat
trip on the Isar river and suddenly your toes are tapping following
the blusy guitar riffs of Gary
Clark Jr. Who? Remember you heard it here. Soon fans across
the world will go to hear this 27-year old singer, songwriter, and
guitarist who hit the road earlier this year with shows at SXSW
and at the first annual Bonnaroo Buzz Tour from May 17th -June 9th
before taking the stage at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester,
TN, on Saturday, June 11. New EP, Bright Lights is due out this
summer. The Austin High graduate is getting plenty of attention
from new management and newly inked Warner Brother signing.
Local Kid Live
This month we
caught up with Local Kid in LA's Whisky a Go Go and The Mint. Manager
Sean Sebastian says he's planning a 50 show-tour before the end
of 2011. The band offers sense of humor, plays tight with expert
communication between band mates and their audience. They blasted
the song Bullshit following a joke on Rapture. The music
is melodic, textured with solid arrangements backed by colorful
lyrics and chorus lines. Packed with emotion and energy, the music
of Local
Kid (above) is contagious. LK is Larry Anderson ("Junior")
- Vocals, Bass; Michael Amaya ("AmayA") - Vocals, Guitar,
Drums, Bass; Damon Byers ("Sho") - Vocals, Guitar. New
Kids: Lynyrd Skytso "Skytso" on guitar, Jay Puente "Deathrayjay"
on bass guitar/vox, Bryce Kelley "Kyd-Komob, Domo" on
Drums. The band has been writing since 1986 with influences from
Linkin Park and N.E.R.D to a mix of classical and jazz. In the beginning,
there were two 10-year old kids who started writing and performing
music in the suburbs of Boston, MA - their way to express joy and
frustration of their generation while entertaining family and friends.
Fast forward in the winter of 2009, Junior and AmayA welcomed Sho
(Shopan)- a vocalist already known in Los Angeles. The resulting
collaboration caught the attention of 11-time Grammy winning producer
Rafa Sardina (Stevie Wonder, Shakira) and an aggressive new label,
Ram Jet
Records.
Look for the Kids coming to your local hotspot. Better yet, own
the tracks for 99 cents off the band's web
site. Run, Run!
RIP Steven
"Goldy" Goldstein
-May 9, 2011
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks, Simi Valley
Goldy is missed
and loved by his family and friends. He was 59. Some of you know
him from the many years of work he did in the LA studio scene. Most
recently he conducted The New West Pops. Steven Goldstein produced,
composed, played (keys) and arranged for numerous albums to include:
Dolly Parton, Sarah Brightman, Santana (allmusic).
He played keyboards for Debbie Harry. Known to his friends as Goldy,
he is listed among the soundtrack album producers For Love
of Liberty, a film that chronicles Untold Story of African
Americans Courageous Service to their Country. Our
thoughts are with his wife Patricia, also a fine musician and sons
Oliver and Aaron. Leave a message for his family in the LA
Times tribute page here
Royals
were not the only couple tying the knott this month. Congrats to
Mr & Mrs Castro who were married in Mexico in May. Carlos
is the owner of Watersound
Studios in Studio City.
Born this
Way and Ageless at 70... Say
hola to baby Marco... Congrats to proud Dad Cheche
Alera and Alera family!
Happy Birthday Mr Dylan! Where were you when you first heard
of Bob Dylan?
I must have been 12.
Our 20 something English teacher in Tehran had just arrived from
London. She was a huge Bob Dylan fan. She entered the classroom
of this French Catholic school I attended with much excitement.
She carried a stack of loose papers with Bob Dylan lyrics in hand.
She quickly distributed to the class of about 30 students. Then
she asked each of us to stand and read a verse. Just like I had
seen picture of Beetles before hearing their music, Dylan's words
made a lasting first impression.
What's your story? In April 2008, Dylan received a Special Citation
Pulitzer Prize 'for his profound impact on popular music and American
culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic
power'. Little that I knew then this was a man who started a movement.
He was the man who brought folk to the major rock and roll scene
in the American 1960's, and gave other singer songwriter a voice.
Today, Dylan's songs remain ageless. "Bob is ageless because
he keeps turning new corners, beating down new paths, redefining
himself and his art as he goes," says Scorsese, who previously
directed a documentary called No Direction Home about Dylan's life
from 1961 to 1966. The Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman describes
Dylan as a wave. "He's a moving body of energy built of melodies,
words, rhythms, ideas, and attitudes that have swept over the world
since the year of my birth." U2's Bono adds: "All my life,
Bob Dylan has been there for me," while Bruce Springsteen described
Dylan as "the father of [his] country". In 1991, as he
presented Bob Dylan with a Grammy for lifetime achievement, Jack
Nicholson said, he's been called everything from the voice of his
generation to the conscience of the world. He rejects both titles
and any others that try to categorize him or analyze him. Bob, Thanks
for your wonderful music and many more!
And here's a salute to my English teacher, wherever she may be today!
Ah, but I was
so much older then
I'm younger than that now
-- Dylan from "My
Back Pages" covered by artists as diverse as The Byrds,
The Ramones, The Nice, Steve Earle, and The Hollies. At the 30th
Anniversary Tribute Concert to Dylan at Madison Square Garden in
1992, Dylan performed "My Back Pages" with George Harrison,
Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Roger McGuinn
"There's
no one in the record industry that's a technologist," Morris
explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time,
that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't
know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate
on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?"
-- Doug Morris, incoming CEO Sony Music who once called iPod
Users Thieves.
"We strongly
protest this decision and we ask you to represent all of the colors
of the rainbow when it comes to music and give ethnic music a place
in the heart of music lovers everywhere."
--Carlos
Santata (open letter
to NARAS protesting proposed 2015 catagory elimination of contemporary
jazz, Native American, zydeco, cajun, classical, Hawaiian, Mexican
and world music as well as contemporary blues, Haitian, polka
Until next
month...EXPRESS
YOURSELF.
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