GET A BAND (strategy for bandless songwriters)

PURSUE A CAREER IN A WAY THAT 1) SAVES MONEY 2) GETS FASTER RESULTS 3) ATTRACTS BETTER MUSICIANS 4) EARNS MORE MONEY 5) MAKES YOUR MUSIC SOUND BETTER, 6) ALLOWS MORE CAREER CONTROL 7) GETS BETTER GIGS 8) ATTRACTS INVESTORS.
We will never know how many great songs never saw the light of day because undiscovered songwriters bought into the old school mindset: a songwriter must have a performing band before recording.
Here is an alternate approach to music, which we will refer to here as "CD before band." It has been used as a starting point for hundreds of successful artists, yet is relatively unknown to most aspiring songwriters. In a nutshell, you do things backwards: Beginning with a CD-quality recording. As a band is put together (which is easier when you have great- sounding professional music) the artist simultaneously submits to labels, radio stations, management companies, booking agents, independent promoters, publicists and local clubs.
Here are a few reasons why the "CD before band" approach saves money and gets faster results:
1) SAVES MONEY
It's no secret that having a band costs money. If you choose to put a band together before doing serious recording, you must consider expenses on several fronts:
Rehearsal costs can be huge, and in the real world, rehearsals often occur after an 8-hour workday. With the most expensive arrangement, bands keep their equipment set up in their own rehearsal room at all times. In other situations, band practice time begins with musicians moving their equipment from a storage area into the rehearsal room itself. Often, each band member hauls equipment home after each practice session, storing it somewhere else until the next rehearsal, repeating the process each time. So It's entirely conceivable that the band members are moving drums and heavy amplifiers four times per single rehearsal (into vehicle at home, out of vehicle at rehearsal, then reversing the routine when band practice is done).
There are real costs of rehearsing a band, depending on whether you run the PA system yourself or rent it out. And don't forget guitar and bass strings and drum sticks and tubes for amps and general equipment repair and maintenance.
Live performances are fun, but from a business perspective, shows will undoubtedly fall into the "expenses" category. Remember that after flyers and posters for each show are designed and paid for, each band member is expected to become a marketer, hyping friends and sending emails to everyone each time the band does a show.
In highly competitive environments like Hollywood or other major cities, clubs often require bands to guarantee ticket sales. If the performance contract is not fulfilled, the band pays penalty fees.
For example, a 4-member band might be required to sell 100 tickets in order to play a show. So each member must personally sell 25 tickets (when he or she isn't working their day job or rehearsing in evenings). This type of situation can be OK, but it doesn't exactly make everyone feel more creative. In fact, it can suck the fun and the team-spirit vibe right out of the band.
As a part for their marketing campaign, many bands pay for expensive display ads or radio spots. Some clubs charge mandatory "promotion fees," to cover costs of this kind of advertising. And don't forget the often overlooked part of doing shows, finding and training a soundman who knows your material! Hint: the guy who is willing to do your sound for free is the one you don't want.
Then there is the expense and time-investment for a crew: guitars techs and drum techs. Flyers for shows require a professional photo session. Yes, everyone's sister has a new digital camera. But the picture won't project a marketable image for the band unless you have a pro take care of it for you. Here's what 90% of amateur bands don't understand: If you don't have a professional shoot your promotion photos, then you may very well be sending this message to record labels and people you wish to impress "We are beginners who do not understand the importance of image and marketing." It's about looking like the real thing to industry veterans.
Some of the artists you are competing with will be budgeted for every possible thing, including wardrobe expenses, stage set designers, lights show costs, and there are even professional stage presence coaches. It can go on and on.
2) FASTER RESULTS
Is the "CD before band" route more time-efficient? Yes, and for many reasons. Bands often spend 12-months looking for the right bassist or drummer! After someone with the right playing skill, attitude, goals and experience is found, personality conflicts can later surface... in a month or in a year. Long after the band has invested in the learning time required by a new band member.
Do you want your career to bounce up and down according to other people's personal problems and adolescent dramas? Bad business formula.
3) ATTRACT PRO MUSICIANS
How much better would your original songs sound if they were played by top professionals? No industry veteran will argue with this truth: Bands with professionally produced songs attract the highest caliber players. The alternative to "CD before band"? As a bandless songwriter, the artist must sort through an ocean of local players.
Lets talk about you, as a songwriter, sifting through local musicians to put a band behind your songs.
For the moment, lets say you've been able to get the word out about putting together a band. You now face a dual objective: Weed out the flakes, and at the same time convince callers that you are their best chance of music biz success. As a bandless songwriter, you are in an awkward position. You are attempting to interest musicians in your project... despite the fact that you do not have management, financial backing, bookings, attorney, label interest or industry track record.
It's like trying to sell a car without wheels. And don't forget this: Serious players, the ones that can truly propel your career forward, have their own flake-eliminator antenna up. They are searching for a situation with the greatest potential for upward mobility and the fewest obstacles. The experienced players will ask intelligent questions:
Here are some of the questions the experienced heavy hitters will ask (remember, these are the musicians you want in your band): "Do you have financial backing? Have you attracted record label interest? Radio connections? Any booking agents or hot contacts for shows? Any connections for getting on major bills as a warm up act?
Serious musicians, i.e. the ones you hope to hire snare, will expect answers to these questions. But they are also listening for other things. Do you sound confident as you explain the situation? Do you sound like you are making it up as you go? Do you seem like the kind of person that can take your music all the way to the finish line?
If your goal is to have a performing band before recording your CD, this will be the biggest obstacle: you do not have a recording that accurately represents your professionalism and musical vision. In the absence of well-recorded music, you will have choice but to communicate the depth and nuances of your musical vision with words.
Lets say you have an amateur demo, and you are using this to play for interested musicians. What are the chances of an amateur demo luring the very best players in the city? "Oh, all you have is a very basic demo?" may be the cool response of people you really want in your band. The beginners and players without a track record aren't so picky. The reality is that the players that are chomping at the bit to get in the band may be the ones that have trouble passing auditions.
Serious songwriters be forewarned: For each player who has their act together, you will interview ten musicians who do not have the talent, attitude, or work style to fit your goals.
If you are dead serious about finding solid committed players, your search may feel like a "wanna be" nightmare. On the phone, everyone claims to be a professional. But which musician will cancel at the last minute because their mom can't drive them to the audition? Which musicians will schedule a time with no real intention of even showing up? Are there musicians answering ads who do not even own their own instrument? Absolutely. Will they volunteer that information? No. Because the industry thrives on hype, it's not easy to know who will ultimately be wasting your time.
These are reasons why putting together a band without the forward inertia of a professionally produced CD is time-consuming and expensive. As you can see, the road requires the songwriter to become a sort of used car salesman, requiring skillful use of smoke and mirrors. From a business perspective, it's the slow way to gather momentum, often resulting in a sea of endless expenses and obstacles.
In some ways, it's a balancing act. How many bass player and drummer auditions will the new guitarist put up with before he or she bails?
4) EARN MORE MONEY
With the "CD before band" approach, the singer / songwriter demonstrates resourcefulness, business know-how, and the ability to write songs. That's awesome for lots of reasons. Most importantly, the record companies are focused on YOU.
Singers attempting to start their career the more traditional way, by first putting a band together, join the invisible crowd of other unsigned artists submitting demos. These artists all sincerely believe their recordings are great. They submit to radio stations, local press, management companies, concert promoters, record labels and the music industry at large. Real world example: A recent unsigned talent contest generated 40,000 entries, with online advertising only!
Also, with the traditional "band before CD" situations, the band members who rehearsed and performed prior to pivotal recordings often feel they are entitled to compensation as songwriter(s). For this reason, many bands make personnel changes (or break up!) after commercial success. Think about this aspect of the band-before CD approach: More work. More time investment. More expenses. And when you finally get to the finish line... you make less money! Why? Because the other musicians want you to write them into ongoing royalties.
5) MORE CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER
With the "CD before band" approach, it is obviously the songwriter that put the studio and producer and music together in the first place. And in the big picture, it was you who then offered real opportunities to other players. Bottom line: Your CD made everything else possible.
So what? So the record label is focused on keeping you happy. Congratulations, your life is less about adolescent band dramas, and more about hiring the best musicians and paying them fairly. Music industry decision-makers are interested the people who write the songs!
Because the band is about your songs, your career is less about personality conflicts, drug problems or other personal problems that create complications, slow your career down, or result in the loss of a recording contract.
Record labels often exclude non-songwriters from recording contracts. In the "CD before band" scenario, the original songwriter is the undisputed leader and propelling force behind the band. Stability is a rare commodity in this business, so if you can create that for yourself, more power to you!
6) BETTER MUSIC
Beginning your career with the traditional band-before-CD route, your bandmates will be creating the musical parts for your songs. Those parts that will eventually be recorded... often at the expense of your original musical vision. Most aspiring musicians do not have the insight or perspective a qualified producer brings to the table. The skill level of band members can cripple a song, or take it to the next level. Without a veteran producer on your team, it's going to be up to you to know the difference.
Therefore, in band-before-CD approach, the character of your songs is the result of a vote (at best) between band members who often have little or no experience in songwriting, production or arrangement.
If you don't like the way a band member's playing is shaping your songs, you have two choices. You can do nothing and allow your musical vision to be compromised, or place a musician-wanted ad and open your door to another cattle-call. It's very important to understand the gravity of this predicament that you, as a songwriter, may find yourself in. If you don't like your bass player, you must then ask every other band member to place their careers on hold while you start from scratch searching for a new bass player. A task requiring additional rehearsals, time and money investment from the career-minded players in your band.
Also, if your songs aren't sounding right, how will you be able to identify which parts and/or bandmembers are limiting the potential of your tunes? That requires a good set of experienced ears.
Remember, by choosing to make a personnel change, you are asking exceptionally talented players who have invested a substantial investment of time and money, to put everything on hold. They may feel they are taking a step backwards because the goal of playing shows has been replaced with endless auditions and more waiting while another new member gets up to speed.
With the "CD before band" approach as described here, each musical element is painstakingly aligned to a vision shared by the songwriter and the producer (more about session musicians later).

7) BETTER GIGS
Maybe "CD before band," should actually be called "CD before band and gigs."
Wouldn't it be cool to start playing your hometown club scene at the top? Performing for packed audiences at the hottest venues sure beats playing embarrassing off-nights in front of mom, dad, and your girlfriend. Most live music fans know that Friday and Saturday nights are reserved for the very best talent.
With most clubs, Sunday through Thursday nights are opportunities for new acts that have not yet developed a following. Bands that recorded at uncle Joe's home studio (yes it's true, all their friends think it sounds "awesome") and are trying to get an agent and radio play and press... like every other band with a recording software or a hard disk recorder.
You, on the other hand, can arm yourself with a professional CD demonstrating the highest levels of professionalism, accentuating aspects of your talents that lesser recordings would not reveal.
The "CD before band" approach gives you the career-advancing momentum other songwriters do not possess. Your own CD with songs and a sound that is competitive with big budget releases will change everything, and places you, in a whole different category in the minds of music industry professionals. Here's what can happen in a very short period of time:
1) Radio stations are playing your songs.
2) Legit Artist Management in New York has asked to see the band live.
3) Two record companies have offered to help pay for a demo of your newest songs.
4) Your CD is selling at AMAZON.COM.
5) The band is developing a fan-base all over the world via MP3 song samples and it's own website.
6) For the next photo session, the band is now deciding between 3 professional photographers.
7) CD's are selling well at packed local shows.
8) Your MySpace site is exploding with 500 new friends each week.
Sure, every band hypes club owners and booking agents. But when people in the industry hear an over-the-top CD, they EXPECT BIG THINGS TO HAPPEN.
Lets talk about a best-case scenario: What happens when local journalists, club owners, and booking agents spot a band obviously destined for the big time? They jump onboard. They want to be one of the people who helped "break the band," ...to be able to say they were "right there when it happened."
A band in this situation receives additional help on every level. Local industry professionals participate in any way they can. It's gives them additional credibility. Your bands success is one more success story for their resume. Imagine industry veterans helping to put together your band, while your CD sells online. Imagine the "snowball effect" of industry buzz ...about your songs! Your band. A careful look at virtually any major label signing will reveal a similar scenario.
8) ATTRACT INVESTORS
As far as designing your own music career, you are better off with just about any scenario short of using a record label for investment capitol. Private investors (or to put it simply, people with money) want three things: 1) ego fulfillment, 2) fun, and 3) involvement in a situation that makes them feel creative.
Financial investors want to feel important, like the rest of us. Which band is more fun to work with? ...one that gigged 5-years before getting some local airplay and good reviews, or a band that accomplishes the same in 3 months? Put yourself in the investor's shoes. If you had a boatload of money, which band would you pick as a business investment? Which band would be the most exciting business endeavor?...The band that breaks all the rules by starting at the top, or the band that started at the bottom, kept showing up, and by default, developed a following? There is no question about it. The band with an unstoppable CD and the element of surprise is an investors dream-come-true.
HOW DOES A SONGWRITER "GET A BAND" IN THE RECORDING STUDIO?
1) Professional production, 2) Expert programming utilizing MIDI and samples, and 3) Great musicians. Note: If you've heard amateur musicians playing around with MIDI, then you know how bad MIDI can sound. But in the hands of a beginner, so can Jimi Hendrix's guitars.
In one form or another, MIDI is a tool used by every top producer. MIDI and samples can be used to create temporary building blocks. Used in this way, they are tools allowing the producer and artist to explore ideas and arrangements possibilities without the expense of re-recording drums and other parts. The result: Higher production values. Superior song arrangements. Easier on the wallet.
As far as the "great musicians" part of the equation, session players can be an crucial part of a songwriters career launch. A typical session musician situation might go like this: A session player arrives at the recording studio and listens to your song. After working with the song for 20-minutes, the session musician records the ultimate performance.
NOTE: There is a whole world of nuances, listening skills, and playing skills required by the highest caliber radio-style productions. Musicians without these advanced skills are usually unaware that these nuances exist. Because they do not hear how professional musicians play to the finer nuances of music, they reason that they can record and play as well as the top players in their field. It's a catch- 22 situation, resulting in a great deal of confusion for songwriters putting together bands, as well as for producers opening their doors to new local talent.
Bottom line with session players: In about an hour, he will probably record better tracks than the guy who has been playing the song for a year. And from a dollars and cents standpoint, chalk another up for the CD-before band approach. How much time and money is involved with rehearsing a band for a year? And if you are keeping a band rehearsing for a year (so that you can eventually record a CD), what other substantial time and money investments would should be considered?
We don't hear much about session players because from a marketing standpoint, fans want to hear music created by "a band." Music fans don't want to think of our favorite artist in terms of business transactions, or musicians loaning their talents out at an hourly rate. But session players are a time-tested reality of the music business with an undisputed track record. Music recorded with session pros has resulted in a continuous flow of major label signings and hundreds of gold and platinum successes.
If you want to hear successful music that was created in this way... turn on the radio!
HOW MANY SONGS SHOULD BE ON A "CD?"
The music industry once frowned upon CD's (or albums) with less than 10 – 13 songs. These days, publicists, radio people and industry decision-makers welcome CD's with less tracks. Why? A three to six song release requires less listening time and is therefore easier to review. EP's are good news for songwriters because:
1) Fewer songs means more production time for each tune, resulting in higher overall production values.
2) Fewer songs is easier on the budget.
3) Fewer songs means only the best material gets released. The weak songs don't get heard, increasing chances of commercial success and enhancing public perception.
REMEMBER: A) Impressive sales, strong production values and great songs are the necessary ingredients for generating local radio and press. B) Record labels focus on artists that are able to create momentum on their own.
When was the last time you heard a recording studio ask their clients to record fewer songs? Rather than cash in on a heap of studio hours, we'd rather know that a CD with our name on it is going make a big impression no matter where it is heard.
A producer looks at each CD as a business card. Either attracting more business or pushing it away. When a CD is extraordinary, the artists career moves forward, as does the producer who helped make it happen. It's called a resume.
The quantity-based approach to CD production is the fastest way to waste money, and it's the most common mistake among aspiring songwriters (the second most common mistake is lack of stylistic focus). With quantity as a priority, production values are compromised, and bands unknowingly suck the potential out of material. Listen to the radio. Those are songs that have been arranged and re-arranged and re-written and massaged until they sounded... like songs on the radio.
Just say NO to the voice in your head that says, "we will record every one of our 14 songs if it's the last thing we do." It's a beginner strategy, and nine times out of ten, it's a train that will crash. Instead, pick your best 3, and take those songs (and your career) to the next level.
GREAT SONGS: CUSTOM-WRITTEN FOR YOU
Songwriting is a part of every CD project at Christopherson Productions. A composer with a music industry track record is able to finish songs that seem to be stuck as incomplete song forms, or promising ideas that somehow fell victim to writers block. A skilled songsmith can custom compose full genre-specific songs, or partial works, depending on the needs of the songwriter. Radio programmers chose "Soul rendezvous" as the first radio single from the Lynn Maas CD "Wingless Angel." Music and melody for the song was custom composed by Christopherson for Lynn. Hear the song now at www.LynnMaas.com.
Our in-house publishing company, Cherishment Music, is administered through BMI. So if having a publishing company with a track record in both radio and national media is important to you, then submit your copyrighted material right away!
Many happy clients have entire songs custom-written for their own CD releases. Songs written by Daniel Christopherson have been featured in major motion picture soundtracks (Warren Miller's "Journey" viewed for 500,000 in 2004), Fox Television shows, and in CD productions by Lynn Maas ("Wingless Angel" CD now receiving national airplay), Kathy Walker, Washington State Idol Contest winner Jessica Oliver, Elle Scott, Ryan Marsh, One Zillion Guitars, Laurie Solheim, Our Funeral Forgotten, Damnaged and Petra Tilotta (KLSY 92.5 FM and KOMO 5 TV Talent Search), the talented young lady who sings the National Anthem at Mariners games.
BY DANIEL CHRISTOPHERSON COPYRIGHT 2007