Tips on Releasing music the DIY way!

Almost every week as I walk through Westminster Hall a student proclaims that they are releasing a mix tape, cd, or single next week or tomorrow or the day after. I always find it exciting when people have completed their creative process and feel confident enough to share that project with the world, there is no doubt this can pretty intimidating! When I worked at a record label our busiest days were weeks before the release of a record as our months of planning continue to unfold. Any student that has had my class in the fall knows my attitude with releasing music on your own, its a lot of work and best handled with a plan already in place. This is an extremely difficult task, just ask established artists that have teams already in place to help with their releases. I believe there is a misconception with most Do It Yourself artists that money and the backing of a label would help streamline this process, I would respectfully disagree to a point. Like the saying goes: more money, more problems, this can also be true. If you haven't done the basic research regarding your market or let alone how to release a record even with funding you will find yourself still frustrated with the process. Some people are lucky and their music will carry them over most hurdles but in this day with half the world trying to be the next big thing the cards are definitely stacked against you but at the same time they are in your favor. With the masses of artists pushing for that coveted position of number one, the proliferation of the world wide web, and the denigration of the old music industry many tools have emerged to fullfil this new need in the marketplace for DIY distribution, promotion, and marketing. Companies like Tunecore, CDBaby, BandCamp, Onesheet, and plenty more all cater to the DIY artist and give support in the way of information via articles and blog posts. I follow many of these entities on Twitter and have improved my knowledge base and kept abreast of changes as they come down the pipeline.

There isn't one 'correct' way to promote and sell music, but without a plan and the proper research you could be wasting a lot of time. The easy part, for creatives at least, is producing the product and then the real work begins. If you take the DIY route or are seeking funding or a record deal I suggest you educate yourself as best you can and make this business of music your new reading interest. This is only an investment in yourself and your intellectual property! So before you decide to release that new mix tape and spam your friends and family via email and Facebook and any other social outlet take some time to find your true audience and figure out how to find them, reach them, and garner their attention. Its always better to have an audience of 200 people that you targeted and know how to reach than an audience of 1,000 anonymous people that you cannot reach directly for your next release. There is a great article by CD Baby to help the DIY artist navigate a release and prepare properly. I suggest this as a good start for your research and good luck on your career!

Internships and Jobs

We are already half way through the month of February and quickly the semester will be over once again. For those of you who have internships or plan on applying for them for the summer and the fall I would suggest you start now. It gives you plenty of time to prep your resume and have it reviewed by the Career Center so that you can focus on cover letters and finding the right spot for you. Sometimes we think we 'want' a specific position because it seems glamorous or has more appeal than other positions but from my experience you have to play it be ear and see how each situation can work to your advantage. One of my earliest internships was for a small marketing company that had a whopping one employee and two interns including myself, and for various reasons it turned out to be profitable to me in many different ways. The most important was the connection made with the owner/operator Tanisha Nash Laird, who has hired me back as a freelancer later on down the line and was a great mentor and wealth of information regarding marketing and the entertainment business. It showed me the true value of interning: a chance to learn with someone who is doing what you want to do and opening my eyes to the various avenues I could travel to accomplish my professional goal. I interned with her approximately fifteen years ago and maintain communication with her and her husband with whom I've crafted my own friendship over the years.

There are a lot of young people who would love to get their start in entertainment as producers, engineers, rappers, singers, song writers, etc and are currently mapping their plan to achieve that goal through internships and volunteering at events in their area. Never forget that you are competing against a sea of applicants and that preparation is your best way at standing out.

I urge anyone interested to immediately respond to these postings, don't waste time by stopping me, Toriono, in the hallway with questions about the postings, do your research and apply in a swift manner. Good Luck.

• Busy Recording Studio and Entertainment Company has an internship position available.
• Summer 2012 Internship: Sony Music Entertainment
• An internship with Warner Music Group provides students with the opportunity to obtain real world experience at one of the top music companies in the industry.
• Multicultural Arts Management Internship Program
• Reverbnation Internship

This is only a few to help get people started. Now is a great time to start looking for that fall and summer internship.

Tips on Music production and being a producer

I think its safe to say that this is the age of the producer, whether you are talking in the traditional sense or the new edge of electronica and hip-hop. In the music tech program I am affiliated with a lot of our students are striving for that coveted position of super producer. So when I came across these articles I immediately thought of the students in our program. There are two articles, one that gives tips on how to be a better producer in the traditional sense and tips from a mix engineer for hip-hop producers.

HAVANA TO BROOKLYN SAT. FEB 11TH

For those who don't know our new adjunct of World Music - Cuban, Ned Sublette, this would be a good chance to hang out with him and his class when they check out the show Havana To Brooklyn, in Brooklyn at Roulette. The show features singer and percussionist Pedrito Martinez. If you wish to check out the show, students should contact Peter Gordon(peter_gordon@bloomfield.edu)