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PROFESSIONAL POSSIBILITIES

A Continuation of Chapter 17: “The Music Industry”

Entertainment is the number one export of the United States to the world. Higher even than aerospace, the previous record-holder. In America, interest in Classical Music is going through the roof. It is not just recordings that are responsible for this, but also the performances of symphony orchestras, opera companies, professional choruses and the like. The vocal soloist is involved in all of those. To give you some idea of the ballooning figures: in the United States in 2000, 32 million people attended symphony concerts, 45 million attended opera productions and 9 million went to the ballet. The growth rate is even faster in Latin America. (Baskerville)

With all those tickets being sold, you would think that the time of the professional singer had arrived. In fact it has, but not in Classical Music. Employment opportunities should grow, but competition will be fierce. Short-term jobs can be had in: Opera, concert stage, movies, theater, nightclubs, radio and television commercials (“jingle” singers). These jobs do not provide steady employment. “The old days of the classical and jazz musician are nearly gone. Almost all pros now must cross over the line.” (Baskerville) The Pop world is where the money is.

As long ago as 1940, Charles Henderson with Charles Palmer state in their book How to Sing for Money: “The quickest and biggest money today – for the trained singer as well as the beginner – is in the effective singing of popular songs…As a professional singer, you are in the business of furnishing entertainment. Baldly, to get money from your customers, the listening public, you must give them what they want. I’ll give you as artistic a training as the public taste will permit, but when the artistic and commercial considerations come in conflict, the commercial will get the call.” (As quoted by Vennard.)

Baskerville in his Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, Seventh edition, lists a sampling of 116 Music-Related careers. It is the mere tip of the iceberg in a massive multi-billion dollar industry. Singers fit in there somewhere, but almost all of them in popular venues. Music for “art’s sake” is not well. Nevertheless, here are some of the things the “classicists” can do: Solo recital, concert performance, symphony orchestra soloist, community concert series, opera, voice teaching, voice coaching, college jobs, religious organization musician, commercial and film music. Singing careers for the classical singer include: Recording artist, group singer, background vocalist and “production” singer/dancer.

Musical Theater, a huge industry, offers the following opportunities: Broadway musicals, Off-Broadway theater, Off-Off-Broadway Theater, school productions (from high schools to universities), regional theater (community theater, dinner theater, etc.), summer theater, national tours (usually out of New York), Las Vegas, Branson, MO, Chicago, San Francisco, industrial shows (put on as promotions for corporate products), amusement parks and cruise ships (first class accommodations, opera/musical theater scenes, good food). Weddings, funerals, private parties, banquet singers and street musicians can all make extra money.

Choral managers or advertising agencies usually cast for television, radio, comedy shows, plays, jingles and commercials. Residual payments can be hefty. Send a promotional package (discussed below) to get yourself work. Voice dubbing in the movies can be very rewarding. Marni Nixon’s dubbing of both Natalie Wood (“West Side Story”) and Audrey Hepburn (“My Fair Lady”) are two fine examples of very good dubbing by an excellent singer of two superior actresses not known for their singing abilities. Back-up work and background singing can also be very profitable. It can be obtained through Equity (mentioned below).

Singing in a professional chorus, either in concert or recording sessions, allows you to hear and analyze great soloists, and to learn how they achieve their technical and artistic triumphs. It’s certainly not similar to singing in a local chorus. Everyone in a professional chorus will be a trained singer who knows how to produce a whole spectrum of sounds upon demand in a healthy manner. It can be an amazingly fulfilling experience. These singers must have a technique so versatile that they can switch easily from Pop to Classical to Plainchant. High quality sight-singing is critical.

“One must not underestimate the requirements of technique and musicianship in Pop music… Pop music requires close harmonies involving extraordinarily accurate intonation, complex rhythms and brilliant ensemble singing… One must learn microphone technique.” (McCarthy, as quoted in Falkner) For too long the classicist has looked down on the Pop singer while the Pop singer “laughs all the way to the bank.” Each could learn from the other. The classicist could expand their style and voice use, while the Pop singer could learn more about vocal health and perhaps lengthen their career. Notice that in the Pop world the big name performers are singers. They have learned their craft and know how to sell it.

In order to be a freelance singer, you must live in a large music center. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Nashville are the most productive in the United States. London, Paris and Berlin are the equivalent in Western Europe. Singing can become a “day job” in any of these cities, if you know the right people in the right places.

THE KIT

“The most important marketing element is the packaging. It’s the number one reason consumers make a purchase.” (Lathrop) Whether you like it or not, you are selling yourself. The expert beauty of your well-produced sound needs to be marketed to the industry in a way that will leave them in no doubt that working with you will boost their sales. Your marketing tool, your kit, needs to be a brilliant calling card, announcing your artistic arrival on the commercial market.

The kit should contain a binder, cover or folder holding everything together. Each inclusion should have your name on it. You may want to hire a marketing expert to develop a logo for you, which can be used on each piece. Organize the material in the order it should be viewed. Everything must be self-explanatory. There should be three categories of material: Materials to be seen and read before hearing the tape, CD or DVD; the tape/CD/DVD and the material to be read while listening; and follow-up materials that reinforce what the listener has just heard. (Wadhams)

Broken down further, your kit should contain six things: Your cover letter; an 8”x10” glossy photograph; a short biography; a list of goals; clippings of past and a schedule of future performances; and a recording of two or three songs made in a professional recording studio. Remember, you are investing in your future and it is a worthy investment. If necessary, save up until you can do the job right. You want it to be very impressive. (If you are seeking professional help in the kit’s design, don’t be afraid to speak your mind if you are not pleased with the result.)

Your cover letter should state five things: Who referred you; the name of your product (band name, solo act, Soprano, etc.); what you want (recording contract, appearances, opening acts, etc.); what effect does the product create (possibilities); and a request for a reply (include a self-addressed stamped envelope).

Your resume should contain five sections: Vital statistics; credits; training/skills; graphics/image; and marketing. The vital statistics include your name, phone number, union affiliations (if any), and representation (if any). Credits include reviews, clippings, roles (largest first), and the TRUTH (if they are interested in you, they will check). Training/skills incorporate names of teachers (voice, acting, dance, coaches, etc.) and skills (acrobatics, accents, athletics, sword play, etc.) Graphics/image unites your work with a designer and copy center into a tasteful, professional layout, all trimmed to match the 8”x10” glossy. Marketing consists of target mailing, research, record of contacts and follow up. Beware of seeking an agent or manager on the Internet. People in the industry want to work face to face. (Jacobs)

Your demo must do three things: Attract the listener and take them from their current preoccupation; tell them visually who you are and what they’re hearing, and this must be in tune with the unified image your whole package presents; and your music must not only fit that image but also propel your unique incarnation of it into a commercial future. You must expel whatever is in your listener’s head before they hear you and give them something better. (Wadhams)

Send your demo to a person not a position. You must have a specific name and address. Write the name of your referral or the publication that prompted your submission on the package. Your letter should imply a sequence which the person uses to look at the enclosures. Everything should not only be easy to read but radiates enthusiasm for your work. Your care and attention to the details of your art must be mirrored in your presentation and your respect for the person reading, viewing and listening to it. (Wadhams)

SECURING A CONTRACT

A contract is primarily obtained through relationships. Contacts, networking, management or an agent all help. It is not enough to know people. You have to know them well enough for them to stick their necks out for you. It is vital, therefore, that these are in fact relationships. Contacts are people in the industry that you may have met or worked with in other venues (doing background work or jingles). Now you are asking their help to move you up to the solo level. They have to have seen evidence that you are worth the effort. If you have made a positive impression, they will work for you. After all, if you become a big success, they can legitimately claim a hand in it. When they introduce you to new people, that is networking. As the circle expands the possibilities multiply. Networking is the lifeblood of the Entertainment Industry. Keeping in touch with an ever-widening circle of contacts is vital to launching your career. An agent gets you work and management helps you keep and expand it. These will be discussed later in this chapter.

If you are offered a contract, GET AN ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER to look it over, regardless of how confident you feel about your abilities to read and understand it. The lawyer will explain exactly what everything means, what your obligations are and what the company’s are to you. You need to know what is expected of you and how this will affect your future commercial and performing opportunities. How advantageous the contract will be usually depends on your status in the industry. The lower down the ladder you are, the less you will be offered in royalties and guarantees. At the start of your career, there will often be a trade-off between what you want and what you can get.

When signing a recording contract pay special attention to the media and promotional clauses which can affect your royalties. Sometimes companies will exclude certain types of income from royalty payments. Again, don’t be surprised at the start of your career, if many of your demands are turned down. It’s all a matter of leverage.

Classical recordings are in essence “live performances” so many more can be made in the course of a year than is usual for Pop artists. Therefore, Classical contracts are often for multiple years, up to four or five. Each year one to three recordings will be made depending on the contract and the artist’s other obligations.

ADVANCES/ROYALTIES

Woody Herman said: “Dealing with record companies is like being nibbled to death by ducks.” (Schulenberg) There are many reasons for such complaint and you need to be aware of all of them.

An advance on a royalty is not a gift. It’s a loan. It has to be recouped against any earned royalties before you will see another red cent. If the record makes money, so will you. If not, the advance will be written off by the company against taxes. Approximately 90% of all recordings don’t make money. The public hears a great deal about albums going “Gold” and “Platinum.” They are the exceptions.

Six items are recoupable against artist’s royalties:

  • Inducement, personal and other advances
  • Production costs of master tapes
  • Production costs of music videos
  • Special or independent promotions
  • Special packaging of the recording
  • Tour support

The inducement, personal and other advances are the amount of money the company pays you to sign the contract.

Production costs of master tapes include: A producer’s fee; arranger’s and orchestrator’s fees and music copying costs; rehearsal expenses – hall rentals and musician’s fees, if any; American Federation of Musicians (AFM) artists’ payments and other sidemen’s wages; recording studio costs – time, tape, special equipment rentals; travel and accommodations for any personnel working outside their home area; out of pocket expenses – meals, taxis, shipping, deliveries and telephone. The company will pay all these expenses up front, but they will be deducted from your royalties.

The producer’s fees pay for: Time to produce master tapes and the added value the producer’s name and reputation will bring to the finished product. In addition, the producer is compensated for the potential financial success of the product. A good producer is worth their weight in gold. They will bring finesse to your product which will increase sales. That’s their job.

You must also decide what kind of video you want to promote your album. A dramatic video costs twice as much as a performance video. Remember that these costs will be applied against your royalties. But also take into account that you will want to promote your work in the most eye-catching manner possible. You will need to seek advice from the company and your management before making your decision.

Special promotion can easily cost into five figures (above $10,000) just for one week. Be sure that you, your agent or manager and lawyer are in on that decision. These costs can be prohibitive.

Special packaging of your CD or DVD might include additional artwork, specialized die cutting, packaging items and design costs. All of this comes out of royalties.

Tour support is nowadays more of the company’s cost than yours. If you are required to do a marketing tour, they will probably pick up the costs. This is especially true if the recording is breaking nationally at the same time.

You need to pay attention to everything: Accounting, audits, statements, lawyer’s fees and so on. Plus, you will need very good tax records. All of these areas of creation and commerce are part and parcel of the industry. You may be wondering how anyone can possibly handle all these things on their own. Don’t worry, there’s good news. You don’t have to.

THE BUSINESS

How do you launch a music career? The easiest way is to make a name for yourself by doing something remarkable. Let’s say that you win a big competition, perform a knockout audition, or your musical performance was amazing enough to attract a lot of attention. That’s one way. Another is to join a union. The union is set up to get you work and make sure that you are properly paid.

If you want to be in opera productions you can join the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). They handle all work for opera and the concert stage. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) handles radio, television, recordings, jingles, commercials and so forth. The American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) deals with nightclubs and amusement parks. The American Equity Association (AEA), often just referred to as “Equity,” controls musical theater, operettas and theater, in addition to some aspects of recording. The Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) manages television and movies. Many union members doing bit parts have made the transition to stardom when their talent was given an opportunity to shine.

On the non-performing side of the business, there is the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET). Most music video technicians such as camera operators, lighting crews, electricians, location sound crews and set, make-up, props and costume people belong to these unions. They make very good money. If you want to be in the Entertainment Industry, but not necessarily as a performer, check them out.

Make a name for yourself. It takes a lot of work and commitment. But you must keep in mind that the end result could be a lifetime of work, perhaps even fame and fortune. Here are a few steps you can follow: