• Student Phobia. A majority of college booking agents are students. If you don’t like it, don’t bother performing on college campuses. You have to be willing to work with students who may only have a few years experience, most likely less.

Regardless of experience or age, do not condescend or speak down to student booking agents. If a student tells you that he or she books the bands, don’t avoid them by asking to speak to someone else. You might be surprised just how intelligent and professional that student can be despite length of experience.

The best attitude you can have is one that is flexible. Work with booking agents so they can learn to better help you. After all, chances are, that student is going to decide whether or not you get the show.

• Not arriving on time. Seems easy, but apparently it’s not. If you’re given an arrival time, abide by it. The “traffic” excuse is no excuse at all. Traffic is everywhere. Plan ahead for traffic and other complications. My university asks bands to arrive two hours early. So when one band arrived two hours late because of traffic, we told them they were in breach of contract by not arriving on time. After all, we had staff members who were able to get to work on time by using the same freeways.

If you suspect you’ll arrive late (it better be a good excuse), call the college and inform them of your situation. When we expect bands to arrive two hours before show time, we definitely start to worry when an hour has passed, you’re MIA, and no one has called to let us know you even remember having a show that day.

• Diva Behavior… guys, you’re guilty of it too! If you or any of your band-mates is a diva, it’s time to have a reality check about what this type of behavior can do to your music career. College booking agents, and others, avoid these types like the bubonic plague. Why should we work with a difficult diva when we can avoid the drama by booking a band that’s actually going to be nice to people?

A college booking agent will be more inclined to book you again if they know you’re not going to be an egotistical narcissist. There’s a long list of big-name bands that have fallen from grace due to diva members. Underground bands are no exception.

• Hostility. There is NO EXCUSE for pushy, demanding, angry or disrespectful behavior. This just makes you look hostile and no one will want to work with you. Never lose your temper with a booking agent, even if the problem is their fault. If something goes terribly wrong, stay calm and work towards a solution.

Not too long ago, a band that played at my college received a paycheck for a lower amount than on the contract. They were patient with us and at no point were hostile. We discovered it was a computer error, apologized, and worked fast to send them a check for the rest of the amount. We booked them again.

On another occasion, a band’s manager became very upset with me after not receiving his paycheck on the day he expected. He didn’t turn in the contract before a deadline and it was only going to take another day or two to process. He completely disregarded our policies and demanded that I “fetch” his paycheck right away. He got the paycheck and a spot on our college’s Black List for acting more like a bully than a band manager.

• Disorderly Behavior. This shouldn’t even have to be addressed, and yet it happens. Acting like a trouble-maker is a definite way to repel colleges from you and it’s just plain disrespectful. I’ve seen and heard my fair share. Everything from showing up high, showing up drunk, harassing students, arguing with staff and damaging school property. This kind of behavior not only reflects poorly on you, but the entertainment committee that hired you – a good reason to never hire you again.

• Being unprepared. While mistakes happen, nothing is more embarrassing than forgetting something really essential to playing the show. I haven’t blacklisted all bands who commit this mistake, but I can’t help thinking twice about booking them again. Being unprepared can lead to delays, unplayable songs and a number of other complications.

A tip from one of my musician friends: set up in your driveway as if you’re going to perform right there, then pack up everything, leaving nothing behind.

• Not following directions. Some bands do not like being told what to do. But when you’re a guest on a college campus, you have to follow the rules laid out for you. Those rules are set forth for a reason.

At my college, we have a dock for unloading equipment but parking is not allowed since it’s used for other campus needs. When a band failed to move their cars to a designated parking area after we repeatedly told them to move, they all got tickets from campus police. And no, we did not pay the tickets.

• Playing too loud. This may seem out of place since it probably won’t get you blacklisted or ruin your relationship with a college, but it’s not exactly the best thing to do during your performance. You want spectators to enjoy your music, not to look around for a pair of earplugs.

Many colleges have noise ordinances restricting how loud music can get for the sake of spectators and classes taking place during the show. Blasting your music way louder than is necessary will cause annoyance and it’s not great for the audience’s ears. For more information about hearing loss check out the following articles brought to you by Sonic Weekly.
Article links.

If you think you can get away with this type of behavior, take a word from Paul Spella of the University of New Mexico, “We don’t have to have you play here. There are plenty of other bands who want to play here.” His attitude is shared by many college booking agents who want nothing more than a good show and a positive experience for both you and the college. We booking agents hire you because we love music and we are excited about the possibility of hearing you live. We picked you out of hundreds, maybe thousands of inquiries to come to campus. Always be gracious to the college that hosts you and build a relationship for future performances. Don’t let a mistake minimize your market.

Look out for the third part of this series, where we’ll explore the next level of marketing yourself to colleges at NACA (The National Association for Campus Activities), one of the largest groups in the country devoted to selling entertainers to college campuses.

Contributors to this article include:
Paul Spella, University of New Mexico, NM – Student Union, Concerts
John Rios, Montana State University, MT – Concerts Director
Nathan Kogut, Colorado State University, CO – A.S.A.P. Concerts

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NACA – What it can do for your music career, and how to get involved.

It’s called the National Association for Campus Activities, NACA. For more than a thousand colleges and universities across the country, an NACA conference is one-stop shopping, complete with audition-style showcases, face-to-face interaction with talent, and endless networking opportunities.

Since 1960, NACA has been hosting conventions and showcases across the country to bring sellers and buyers of college entertainment together.  And it’s not just for bands. Conventions also include comedians, speakers, promotional agencies, and other performing artists. The one criteria: have crowd appeal broad enough for the picky college circuit.

Booking Agent Heaven

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to a NACA regional conference in Reno, Nevada. I was excited by the thought of going to a casino hotel in Reno for three days. But after a couple of hours, I forgot our hotel even had a casino. The convention schedule keeps booking agents busy from dawn til’ way beyond dusk. For us, that meant classes, workshops, showcases, conference meals, interactive activities, the talent market, maybe a quick shower, then another showcase and the talent market again. Exhausting, but it’s all worth it.

NACA is a universe of talent and information unto itself. As a college planner looking for bands, the conference allowed me to see acts play live, meet them in person, and network with other colleges interested in hiring similar artists.

As a band, a NACA convention allows you to get the attention of several dozen colleges in one location. But like many other prospects in the college entertainment industry, this is an investment that requires time, money and hard work.

Artists can apply through the NACA website. Just remember to do it months in advance, because the showcase selection process is competitive, and requires an application package, including a well-produced video. Bands that don’t make the showcase cut can still rent a booth at a NACA event, but won’t have the chance to perform in front of a large, targeted audience.

Which Events Should You Hit?

NACA has seven Regional Conferences divided by location. These conferences are open to all member colleges within the listed region. For a list and map of the regions, go to the NACA website.

Every Spring, NACA has a Mid Altantic Festival which showcases about 50 entertainers and groups, including agents and promotional companies. This festival is open to schools located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C.

Every February, NACA hosts its National Convention, the largest campus activities marketplace in the country. It’s a four-day event with over 2,000 delegates from more than 450 schools. The convention also hosts classes on leadership and business for attending students, which makes it a great place to meet a future manager, promoter, or producer.

No Small Investment

There are two types of NACA membership for a band: Regional Membership ($351) and National Membership ($710). With a Regional Membership, you have access to a region of your choice (West, South, Central, etc.), but with National Membership, you have access to all regions. Sounds expensive, I know, but that’s because there’s some serious money to be earned here.

Showcasing live is not guaranteed once you become a member and it will require extra fees to apply to be part of the showcase. And if you’re chosen, more fees. But it’s worth the investment if you can do it. College shows pay way more than nightclubs (as much as $3500 for some events!) and popular college bands make a solid living touring the circuit. At a NACA event, you have the undivided attention of dozens of colleges right in front of you. Take advantage of it – the right act has the potential to book dozens of shows right on the spot.

College students are a great demographic for musicians to target because they are big time consumers of the entertainment industry. They watch music news and videos, attend concerts, go to clubs, buy music and the latest music technology – often obsessively. For any band looking to build their fan base, a college presents an enormous potential marketplace.

Many colleges have committees appointed specifically to book entertainment on their campuses. This article is going to give you the 4-1-1 on everything you need to know about getting booked on a college campus, from the college booking agents themselves.

Finding The Booking Agents

This first step will require some research. Not every college has a direct link to their entertainment committee on their homepage. Chances are, they may not even be called the “entertainment committee,” that’s just the term we’re going to be using here, so don’t Google it. Search the college website and call the campus hotline for information. There could be several departments that book entertainment, so make sure you find the one right for you. Often, the best way to track down booking agents is to talk to other bands that landed college gigs. When you confirm that you’ve reached the right department or individual, store your contacts in a little black band book.

Press Kits

Sending out a press kit? Keep in mind that you’re sending something that’s representative of your band. You want to appear professional, and convey who you are musically. Keep the press kit simple by including:

• Plenty of music samples,
• A paragraph of information about the band
• A blurb about your desire to play for the campus
• Contact information
• And a photo or two

Keep in mind that college booking agents have a lot of kits to look at. Too much stuff is more likely to overwhelm the booking agent than invite them into your music. “Why should we bring you here? Just answer that question,” says Nathan Kogut of Colorado State University.

The prettier press kit is not always the belle of the ball, so invest in press kits only what you’re able to comfortably spend. DO NOT OVERSPEND on large, overly detailed press kits full of articles, various photos, show reviews and page long bios. When a booking agent has a pile of kits to review, chances are all that extra stuff is going to go unnoticed. “We receive so many press kits, we can’t even review them all,” reveals Paul Spella of the University of New Mexico. The best thing you could do is condense your information. No one should need to read a novel to get to know your band.

The majority of mailed press kits consist of a CD and a one-sheet (a single page) containing band information and contacts. Not every college reviews bands the same way, so feel free to call them up or look online for each college’s press kit requirements (include that in the little black band book too). Some colleges may only want CDs, so if you send them a DVD of one of your shows, you could inconvenience them by making them find a DVD player to watch it on.

Do your research and you might even get away with not paying for postage altogether. Many colleges will gladly accept an electronic press kit (EPK) or emails with links to your band’s personal website. Not to mention that this will vastly decrease paper waste and save the booking agent from storing your CD.

If you plan on using a MySpace page to send to a booking agent, keep your page simple and professional. Watch out for comments, pictures or other posts that could give booking agents the wrong impression of you. Too many photos or graphics on your profile page could also lead to technical problems, so clean it up on a regular basis. John Rios of Montana State University says that MySpace can be very convenient for reviewing bands because he can listen to music, read information, look at photos and follow band schedules. “I can catch bands in between major cities,” he says. Paul Spella agrees that there can be advantages to maintaining a MySpace page, “It’s an easy means of connection to the college demographic.”

What A College Wants

What do colleges want to hear? What are their expectations? It’s hard to list specifics; colleges are as unique as the bands they book. Some may only want conservative, squeaky clean, ambient music, while others push the boundaries with experimental, free-form concerts. If in doubt, ask. Spend your time focusing on the colleges that want your style.

How prominent you are in the industry may also be a factor. Some colleges want the rising, but still underground artist that students will find refreshing and new. Others may prefer bands with a history in the music industry that will be recognized by their students. At the same time, there are colleges who don’t care who you are, where you come from, or what you’ve done in the industry – it’s the quality of your music that gets you booked. “We have to feel like they’re going to put on a good show,” says Colorado State’s Nathan Kogut. Don’t take offense if a college decides not to book you, just move on.

For musicians, hearing loss is an occupational hazard. Any time you put yourself in a loud environment for an extended period of time, you risk damaging your hearing, and musicians tend to experience more damage to their ears than the rest of us. But thankfully, if you’re smart enough to wear hearing protection, you’re likely to prevent that from happening.

I am someone who obsessively monitors her hearing, not only because I am an avid music fan, but also because I’m a TV Producer and frequently find myself standing on a set, wearing earpieces for a pair of walkie-talkies, or a headset attached to two cell phones. I’d heard about ListenHear’s musicians’ earplugs—the FEA 25 Filtered Ear Attenuators—but having tried a variety of others with mixed results, I had my doubts.

I went ahead and got fitted for a pair of my own FEA 25 filters and I embraced the chance to put them to the test… but this wasn’t just any test. I wore the ListenHear FEA 25s to the three-day Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, a non-stop fiesta of sound attended by tens of thousands of music lovers in the 100-degree desert temperatures of Indio, California.

Interestingly, I ended up wearing the earplugs incessantly all three days, not just because the concert’s sound levels were so high, but also because the plugs were surprisingly so comfortable! Starkey Audiologist, Dan Thomas says the FEAs “are made from heat-cured silicone because it’s the type of material that gives the listener the most-sound attenuation in a custom product.” Silicone earplugs provide a passive filtering of sound so if you’re a music fan you can actually hear the lyrics and enjoy the music, and they create more of a balanced reduction between the lows and the highs, so you can carry on conversations better in loud environments.

Pretty cool considering the alternative—solid earplugs like the kind you’d use in a machine shop or on a shooting range, which completely reduce the quality of sound you’re hearing. Why? Because when you’re protecting your ears from machine or gun noise, you want to completely block out the sound. For us music lovers the goal is different—when you’re listening to your favorite band play, you’re looking to preserve the quality of sound, and that’s exactly what I was able to do while wearing the FEA 25 musician’s earplugs.

So what was my experience like? While concert goers around me were yelling in order to get their point across, or straining to hear their friends talk, I was able to carry on conversations easily, while fully enjoying the sounds of some of my favorites—bands like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, Thievery Corporation, and The Cure.

Good thing is any time you wear earplugs, you’re protecting yourself from tinnitus—a temporary threshold shift in your hearing that can result in a continual noise in the ear such as a ringing or roaring. This constant ringing is usually caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear, and any time you experience a threshold shift from continuous loud noise, one of the potential side effects is tinnitus, or ringing in your ears.

For music fans like me, the choice is easy—wear earplugs. But musicians have tougher decisions to make—whether to wear filtered earplugs or in-ear monitors, which allow them to monitor their mix while they’re performing on stage. Not much of a choice really, when you’re a musician, the mix usually wins out.

Starkey’s Dan Thomas says in-ear monitors technically aren’t considered hearing protection, but musicians who wear in-ear monitors actually can use them to protect their hearing, the choice is theirs, “The opportunity is there to protect your hearing but not everyone takes advantage of it. They [monitors] can provide hearing protection, but you need to turn the monitoring levels down,” he explains, “You’ve got the chance to isolate your own voice, your own drums or your own guitar, so you get the isolation, but now it’s your choice how loud you choose to listen to what you’re monitoring.”

Thomas says drummers have a unique situation, “Drummers can wear earplugs. They [more than other musician’s] might be able to monitor something with filtered earplugs [rather than in-ear monitors] but either way, they need to protect themselves from the sounds they’re making themselves. After all, everyone else [on stage] is protecting themselves from the drummer.”

ListenHear FEA series actually come in a variety of filter choices—the FEA 09, the FEA 15 and the FEA 25. The numbers for each model represent the decibel level of protection you’re getting. The lower levels give you a lower level of protection, for example, fans might use the FEA 09 or the FEA 15 for up to 15 dB of noise protection. Musicians usually opt for the FEA 25 which gives them up to 25 dB of protection, and it’s not like that adversely affects the level of their experience; consider that most concerts range in sound level between 110 and 150 dB!

That’s exactly why I used the FEA 25 filters myself at Coachella and could easily hear the music and carry on a conversation. The filter level you choose to use is up to you. You decide what level you’re interested in wearing. Experts say performing musicians are best off wearing a 25-35 dB level of protection, whereas music fans will sometimes choose the lower levels because they want to hear more of the music. Again, it’s up to you.

For me there’s no question, the FEA 25s are the way to go because I want to be sure I’m protecting my hearing for the long haul. Believe it or not, I know several music fans in their 30s and 40s who chose not to protect their ears in their 20s, and are now paying the price. Sadly, they’re hard of hearing!

So what’s the lesson here? For your ear’s sake, wear earplugs! And if you’re a music lover like me, take the time to get fitted for a pair of customized earplugs, your ears will thank you… today, tomorrow, and decades from now when your grandchildren ask you to sing them a lullaby.

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Sonic Weekly had its first booth at this year’s NAMM Show, the National Music Manufacturer’s Association trade show in Anaheim, California. NAMM takes place annually at the end of January and gives manufacturers from around the world the chance to meet, greet and showcase their latest new products. And despite the country’s bleak economic forecast, the bulk of this year’s attendees say the 2009 Winter NAMM Show proved very successful.

NAMM organizers reported there were 85,799 registrants for this year’s trade show. Of those, there were 1505 exhibitors at this year’s Show—all businesses related to the music industry. But despite a 3% drop in numbers from 2008, the aisles were crowded and deals were clearly being made, “There was a lot of apprehension throughout the whole industry about how this show was going to do,” says Communications Manager for Peavey Electronics, Jim Beaugez, “But you know, I’ve worked in this booth the entire show, and we’ve been very busy. We launched several major guitar amplifiers including a new signature amp with Joe Satriani and we also unveiled our “amplifier customs shop” where you can specify your own personalized custom amps. Those offerings really helped us bring a lot of dealers here, everyone was really excited from the get go.”

Gerald Marleaux, Marleaux Bass Guitars

For businessmen like Gerald Marleaux and Peter Bellak, the experience was entirely different. Their two small companies shared a 10 x 10 foot booth where Marleaux who came all the way from Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany, showcased his custom-made Marleaux Bass Guitars while Bellak showed off his Mighty Moe Amp Straps, “There’s a slightly different vibe this year, I think people are a little more cost-conscious and running a little bit scared,” says Bellak, “But I think they’re going to pull together and get through this okay.”

Marleaux’s business is based largely in Europe, but he’s hopeful NAMM will help him to spread the word, “We’ve made some good contacts for the American market at this Show. [In Germany] we have a workshop with only two people,” says Marleaux, “Each instrument is made for each unique person, we don’t have any in stock. It’s all made by hand. We can change everything—the choice of wood, the shape, the size, everything [about the bass] is [made for] the musician.

Bellak says he’s comforted by the fact that his product is also unique, “There is no other guitar strap with an amplifier built on with an integrated signal cable and controls that you can access. What I’ve been able to do is find a sweet spot that has okay sound, and also keep the portability in place so that it’s just big enough to sound good and small enough to fit in any guitar case.”

Peter Bellak, Mighty Moe Amp Straps

A trade show like NAMM gives small exhibitors like these incredible access directly to musicians, retailers and distributors, “A lot of people know the [Marleaux] brand which I was impressed by,” says Marleaux, “A lot of guys came over [to our booth] all bassists playing my basses and that’s good for me.” His booth buddy, Bellak echoes this sentiment, “I got into the hands of Kid Rock today. John Sebastian came by, John Sebastian! So I gave him an amp strap! I said, ‘You know, I scored with more girls to your music than anybody else, so it’s the least I can do for ya.’”

Legendary musicians like John Sebastian weren’t the only ones in attendance. This year’s show attracted the likes of Gene Simmons and Steve Vai and featured performances by Alicia Keys, Billy Bob Thornton and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.Bellak who’s been attending since 1993, still gets excited, “I’m meeting people [newcomers] that were like me when I first got here to the NAMM Show and I thought, ‘Wow this must be what heaven’s like!’”

Andrew Earle, Axewraps

Andrew Earle, Founder of Axewraps guitar skins is a freshman NAMM attendee from Portland, Maine. He manufactures guitar skins that both decorate and protect the finish on your guitar, “For us [the most challenging thing ] is the product concept, the idea that you can actually skin a guitar, and as product awareness increases—the idea of skinning your laptop or your cell phone increases—that will help us too.”

For new businesses like Earle’s, the experience of exhibiting at NAMM comes with its share of lessons, “We came in thinking ‘Get a bunch of retailers,’ but now we’re thinking it’s probably better to get some good distributors to help us out.”

Karl Kussmaul, Sony

Senior Product Manager for Sony Electronics, Karl Kussmaul buzzed with musicians and retailers about a few of the latest offerings from Sony—portable digital recorders that record sound much like the human ear hears it, “The thing that makes these [recorders] special is they have very high quality microphones and three amplifiers so they make high quality recordings. It captures the stereo image in the same way you hear things with your ears. And this one has the ability to switch [to X or Y] configurations and it actually makes a recording with a stereo image that sounds very similar to the way your ears hear, so it gives you a very natural stereo sound.”

Kussmaul knows that getting the right sound is critical. And he counsels businesses that cater to the music industry to learn to use their ears, “My advice to any business large or small is listen. Get feedback. The feedback I get here is invaluable.”

Jim Beaugez, Peavey Custom Shop

Jim Beaugez of Peavey says as a musician himself, the perks of attending a NAMM Show are fantastic, “If you’re a musician, the best thing is you get is an advance look at what’s going to be coming out in the year, it’s like the ultimate dream—you get to come in and see all the new toys before everyone else.

And no doubt working with an industry icon like Hartley Peavey has been an inspiration for him, “He was here with us the whole time,” says Beaugez, “He’s involved in everything that we do from product conception to engineering, marketing, manufacturing, I mean, the whole thing. He’s very much the life of the company.”

So what’s kept Mr. Peavey going for 44 years in this business? “I would have to defer to Hartley Peavey on that,” says Beaugez, “And his advice is just don’t quit.”

Sound advice indeed.

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Types of Agents

If you ask 10 different agents what they do in a day and what their typical duties are, you will get 10 different answers. The truth is just like every musician, every agent has something different to offer. There are independent agents, agents connected to big agencies like William Morris or CAA, agents who have started their own agencies; big agents and small-time agents. Some musicians can go through three or four agents in their careers. The trick is finding the type of agent you need at this point in your career.

Primarily, agents book gigs and organize performance fees for an artist playing. Unlike what you see in the movies, agents don’t organize travel plans, promotional work or stage production. That’s what a band manager does, “We get artists gigs,” says Bruce Houghton, president of Skyline Music, “No more and no less. In the current environment, we also advise the artist and often managers about how best to navigate in what we like to call ‘the new music business.’ ”

Agents typically work for 10 to 15 percent of what the band makes at a performance they have booked. That means many agents are only interested in representing artists who already have a large following and sell out clubs and venues or are looking to take their career to the next level. So why get an agent if all they do is dial a phone number and call a club? Easy. Connections. No matter how hard a musician may try, there is often a limit to how far they can with only their own contacts.

What They Do

“We all know various types of clients,” says S.S. ‘Sparky’ Sparks of The Sparks Agency, “Basically, it’s the connections and a full-time commitment to the job—the business of the business. [I also] know to ask questions that the band may not think of asking, like ‘Is it going to be outside?’ or ‘Will you be filming done?’ and ‘What percent we get from that?’ and ‘What does the band get out of it?’ These are things a good agent [will] do.”
However, keep in mind that an agent will inevitably be concerned about the bottom line, and that bottom line is how much money they’re getting.

“My job is a professional middleman and to give both entities, the band and the venue, the tools to have a good performance,” Sparks says. “Entertainment booking is translation. It’s our job to make sure both sides of the fence are treated well and happy so it’s easy to book a second time. You have to sell to make money in this business, and you only get 15 to 20 percent of that date. That’s the bottom line.”

Most individual agents represent anywhere between 10 and 20 artists depending on the size of the agency and size of the artist. Houghton from Skyline Music recommends looking for a 10 to 1 ratio of artist to agents. According to Tony Saldano, CEO of T&T Management and Booking Agency, agents tend to focus on a few clients in order to compete with the number of gigs out there as well as give each agent as much individual time as possible. The amount of individual time can range depending on the client load of the agent.

“I care very much about providing (musicians) with the best services I can possibly provide, and care very much about their needs as both people and artists, as their successes are also my own,” Saldano says. ”Their failures are a reflection on me as well, and that is why I prefer not to spend my time wasting it frivolously.”

Sparks says that he hasn’t seen much competition among agents themselves, and that agents will actually help each other get gigs at time. Houghton however, says the market for gigs is very competitive if a band doesn’t easily sell tickets.

Keith Case, owner of Keith Case and Associates also says that for some clients he offers a to book interview requests, hotels and anything else they may need if the artists don’t have a manager who can book their dates and accommodations for them. While it may contradict the sometimes elusive nature of an agent, many can be very attentive once they’re hooked in with an artist. “It’s hard to get us to sign an act, but after we do we go to war for them and will be bloody stumps before we give up,” Houghton says. “If you can’t find an agent that makes you feel that way; keep making calls yourself.”

In one word—hot!

From the Friday afternoon performance of Arctic Monkeys to Brazilian Girls to hitting the Gobi dance tent for the off-the-hook house remixes of Felix Da Housecat to the steamy, 100-degree temperatures, this year’s Coachella festival was sizzling.

The onstage band reunions were equally spicy, from start to finish.

For fans of ‘80s songwriting, Scottish band, The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited on the main stage on Friday, opening night, featuring a cameo by a seemingly overwhelmed, Scarlett Johannson harmonizing on their classic, “Just Like Honey.“ On Sunday night, it was ‘80s rockers, Crowded House reuniting, led by New Zealand singer, songwriter, Neil Finn while across the field, famed English pop band, the Happy Mondays brought back the Manchester sound. And finally, there was alternative metal band, Rage Against the Machine who hit the stage after a seven-year hiatus, offering the tens of thousands of revelers a brilliant finale to the weekend.

All in all, this year’s festival got a lot right.

The performances that most hit the mark—and there were many—LCD Soundsystem’s dance punk sound had the crowd jumping en masse on Saturday night, as did the haunting Argentine tango sounds of French electronica trio, Gotan Project who were accompanied by a host of gorgeous violinists decked to the nines in slinky, white gowns, while their male counterparts looked dashing playing in white suits. Their elegant, yet sensual performance added a touch of class to the concert, where the heat dictates the fashion and men are frequently bare-chested while girls don little more than bikinis and shorts until nighttime, when the desert’s three-digit temperatures drop, but only slightly.

One of the most impressive aspects of this year’s line-up was the sheer variety of international artists being showcased. For music lovers it was like being offered a sampling of tapas at your favorite restaurant. But for a musical meal this delicious, tough decisions have to be made, like deciding between watching legendary American icon, Willie Nelson on the main stage, or listening to duo Mexican metal guitar superstars, Rodrigo y Gabriela.  Throughout the three-day event, we were treated to a cornucopia of sounds from around the globe, from Paris-born, Spaniard, Manu Chao who sings in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and English, to the energetic Swedish trio, Peter Bjorn and John, to cheeky British pop stars like Lily Allen, who admitted she was blown away by the sea of fans who turned out for her show.

But not all at Coachella was wine and roses. French duo, Air who rarely disappoint, easily filled the polo field to standing-room only capacity with fans waiting patiently. And wait they did. Air hit the stage almost 40 minutes late and played only five songs, ending their set abruptly.

Headlining Friday night, Icelandic singer, songwriter, Bjork a two-time Coachella opener was as bright, lively and adorable as ever. She kicked off her world tour accompanied by an all-female brass band, and she graced the stage in full regalia—donning a floor-length cape which she quickly slipped off to reveal a form-fitting black-and-white striped corset and green and orange hula skirt. Bjork has long been loved for her otherworldly charm and upbeat persona, but for the thousands of fans who weren’t skimming the stage, she was barely visible on the big screen as the video direction sadly focused more on her back-up band than on the colorfully-decorated and hypnotic Icelander. More Bjork please! Nevertheless, her performance shone through, even for those relegated to only listening and watching from afar.

Coachella continues to showcase some of the most talented musicians around. One of those performers, DJ Shadow had the unfortunate position of bringing a tired crowd to their feet after a long technical delay. After 30 minutes of sound checks, DJ Shadow positioned himself behind his Apple, keyboards and turntables. Then he laid down some of the most spine-tingling array of beats, sounds and visuals! Everyone got their second wind and grooved to a virtuoso performance, once again, setting another Coachella moment – a truly amazing set!

For those aspiring musicians hoping to grace the Coachella main stage one day, this year’s festival should be an inspiration. Many of the artists featured this year were playing in relative anonymity until recently. Mexican acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, for example, were discovered just two years ago by Damien Rice while living the traveling musicians’ life, busking and playing small clubs in Dublin, Ireland.

Now they’re stealing the show wherever they go.

As diverse as the talent on stage was this year, so was the art.

Installations were woven from stage to stage and venue to venue. There was the immense, multi-colored dome, styled after the famed, Burning Man Festival and featuring DJs such as former Bauhaus members, David J., Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins.

Also featured were several Burning Man art pieces, including the Lucent Misting Oasis, a collection of flower-inspired tents by LA based “The Do LaB,” Clockwork Menagerie by the Bay area “Kinetic Steam Works” art collective, and a dazzling light sculpture called Big Round Cubatron—a hypnotic, three-dimensional beacon for party goers near the dance tents.

The mesmerizing combination of music and art attracted music fans from across the United States, Europe, Australia and South America. They traveled by planes, trains and automobiles to see and support their favorite musical artists and incredibly, they behaved. Despite, the tens of thousands in attendance, Indio police made only 25 arrests, mostly for alcohol, drugs or unruly conduct.

What was most impressive, considering the sheer numbers—100,000 music lovers in all over the weekend—was the level of courtesy on display. Arcade Fire frontman, Win Butler took notice, thanking fans for being so patient, “Manners are the cornerstone of a great society,” he said. Butler ultimately traveled through the audience during his performance, the only rocker to do so. It was a well-deserved toast to the audience.

Not only was the festival ultra-peaceful, but it was also the cleanest Coachella ever. Festival organizers this year implemented a simple yet sound idea—offering a free bottle of water for every ten bottles that music revelers recycled; a definite plus in maintaining the trash.

Yes, there were lines at the food court, and lines at the porta-potties. But considering the high numbers of fans of every age and ethnicity streaming elbow-to-elbow across the desert, the need to queue up briefly was a minor inconvenience. And that’s what made this Coachella festival so special—the combination of epic talent and an international base of loyal fans brought together from opposite ends of the globe to celebrate their love of music,
in peace.

And for us at Sonic Weekly, that’s the sweetest music of all.

Cheers.

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If you dream of fame and fortune, your best bet may be to go for a major label. One advantage to major labels is their size and large staff means more manpower, money and connections behind you to promote and distribute your album. These labels don’t just stick to the U.S., they often promote albums internationally and book foreign tours. Sound exciting? Before you set off for L.A., you may want to learn all the facts about major labels—the good, the bad and the complicated.

What is a major record label? For starters, there are the Big Four: Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, EMI Music Group, and Warner Music Group. These labels are the top of the umbrella group, and have several smaller labels below them. For instance, Warner Music Group manages Warner Bros Records.

At major labels, you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Perks can include large advances, possible fame, a larger advertising budget, and the ability to distribute and sell millions of records. Despite what movies or television may tell you, some A&R representatives work very hard for their artists. They pride themselves on doing everything they can to further the artist’s career, and they often have several other people working with them.

Craig Aaronson, an A&R Executive at Warner Records, believes that major labels offer artists a chance to reach bigger audiences through several different venues. He feels that despite cushy budgets, artists can feel more confident about their album with a whole staff of people behind them. “I think we have a lot of resources,” Aaronson says, “We have a large staff that can work in all the different areas of marketing. We’re [ultimately] there to try and enable artists to reach a bigger audience.” But going with a Biggie doesn’t mean you’ll be lacking in personal attention, “I’m very close with all my artists and there’s always a core group—between five and ten people—that work extremely closely with artists on a day-to-day level and become their family at the label,” says Aaronson.

Depending on the label, artists can also have majority or complete creative control. While the record label maintains rights on the final record, Aaronson says Warner Records takes pride in giving their artists an album they can be proud of. A&R people are often protective of their artists and go to great lengths to help them with their albums, and Aaronson maintains, he’s no exception, “I kill for my artists, I work really hard for them.” And over time, that hard work has paid off. “They know we get in the trenches and roll up our sleeves and do the work that any company would do for an artist they care about.” The Warner Executive adds, “I do it. I live it. And I work around the clock for my artists.”

If this kind of passion and publicity is what you want behind your work, there are a series of steps you’ll have to take to get signed to a major label. The first is to research and find an agent or manager. One thing to remember is most A&R reps at major labels do not take unsolicited material. An agent, manager, lawyer, or prestigious music industry individual will have to send it in for you.

Another way to be noticed by A&R reps, of course, is to have them find you themselves. After all, the job of A&R people is to find new talent. They’re constantly scouring clubs and music venues looking for the next big talent and the next great song. But short of trolling the streets of Hollywood with your guitar, how do you make yourself attractive to an A&R Executive?

Tim Carthart of Warner Records, says the trick is to be yourself. “[Musicians can be noticed] by writing original music and by showing that they’re willing to work really hard for their careers,” he says. “They can show [us] by touring, selling their own CDs and promoting their band online, and showing improvement in songwriting.”

And when you do get noticed, you’ll want to arm yourself with an entertainment attorney. These lawyers have specialized knowledge of the in-depth complexities of music contracts, which can be filled with loopholes and complex clauses. Music contracts can be as long as 50-60 pages. Glenn Litwak, an entertainment lawyer that represents B2K and Omarian, believes artists should look for lawyers that specialize in their particular genre of music, “If they do country music, get a music lawyer in country music. If they do R&B or Blues, they should [find] an R&B music lawyer.”

Now let’s talk money. if you get an advance, will it pay for a Kia or a Ferrari? The first thing to remember is that every contract is different. Music contracts usually reserve artists for a certain number of albums, anywhere from one to eight. Normally, the artist is signed for one to two records. The artist is given an advance that can range from $5,000 to several millions, depending on the clout of the artist. Don’t get too excited though, that money is all repaid to the record company through royalties. That means if you get an advance of $300,000 and your album sells ten copies, you have to pay the record label back that entire wad of cash.

Reality check! The Internet is full of tales of woe about major labels “stiffing” artists. True or not, record contracts are long and complex to protect both the label and the artist. Each contract is different, so have your lawyer look things over. If you’ve written your own songs, make sure you’re getting publishing royalties as well. This means more money in your pocket because you’ll get both mechanical and publishing royalties.

Of course, some divas may find major labels too limiting for their taste. Large labels have several artists, and some artists may not get the attention they might get with an independent. Again, this all depends on the label. But for those high-maintenance artists who want a label at their beck-and-call, this may be a deal-breaker.

Before signing a contract, make sure you know who owns what. Some contracts may stipulate that the large label owns the rights over the final product. Which means that after spending months on your album, the label can change it at the last second if they fear it won’t sell well. This is how the label prevents itself from losing money they spent for studio time and recording costs. If you’re a pop artist and you come out with a jazz record at the last second, the label has a right to fight you for the album they commissioned and paid for.

To clarify, the record label owns the actual physical recording on the CD. The artist owns the music in publishing, which means the song itself. And there are no limitations on performing or singing the song during a concert. So sing on!

After all this, what’s the first thing you should do as an aspiring artist? You guessed it—go out and sing! “The best advice I [can] have is go build something on your own,” says Warner Exec, Aaronson. “Go out there and tour. Don’t rely on anyone else to promote you. We’ll find you.”

After all, that’s his job.

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To some listeners, college DJs may not seem like a big deal. But the truth is college DJs serve a greater purpose—for them, it isn’t about just having fun doing a university job. College radio DJs are the gatekeepers of college radio, which for indie artists and college bands is an open forum to have their music heard for the very first time. And best of all, college radio is a safe haven where any band can play and get played, without having to worry about ratings.

New Mexico State University DJ, Glory Reichelt says the impact of college radio stations like KRUX-FM, where she works, is often overlooked, “It’s a useful tool for artists [and] I think it’s a really strong medium,” she adds. “It’s a really good starting ground and [college radio DJs] feel they’re overlooked for playing that music first. [That’s] a lot more important than people think it is.”

So why are college DJ’s so important? Since university radio stations are independent and not controlled by university politics or advertising, they’re generally focused on promoting “pure” music. College DJs introduce new music to the masses and give airplay to bands that may never otherwise be heard—they’re like a petri dish for the music industry.

And for college students, college radio is the ideal—a radio station with music they actually like, run by people their own age. For students who ultimately get involved as DJs, it’s a wonderful experience to meet people who share their passion for music. And it’s more than just a job—it gives them an opportunity to express their feelings, thoughts and musical styles.

“The first thing is that [college radio] can be used [as] a voice for students,” KRUX DJ Glory says. “Kids are allowed to play the music they want to play. They feel [they can] express themselves and people are able to hear [music they] may not have been able to hear before.” For other students, it means being around their own kind, “I think what college radio does is important because it creates an environment for people with like-minded interests to get together and do something they all like,” says University of Texas DJ and Station Manger at KVRX-FM, Loren Seeger, “It’s a good way to learn about new music, old music and the history of music. [Also] it’s a good way to really explore the whole genre of College Rock and explore lesser known acts—people who are struggling to get noticed.” For many college students, finding an indie band no one has heard of is like finding buried treasure. And for indie bands hungry for airplay, college radio stations shine like a beacon of hope in the cruel recording world.

Independent labels—the mavericks of the industry—pride themselves on providing individualized service to the artist and staying true to the music.

However, you’re not as likely to get famous on an indie recording label, though it has happened before. Ani DiFranco, Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwain McCain are all independent label artists. In DiFranco’s case, she actually went one step further. She started her own label—Righteous Babe Records—and turned down lucrative deals from larger labels. “The label was started by Ani as a way to put out her music,” says Susan Tanner, a representative for Righteous Babe. “In order to do what she wanted to do, and serve her best interests, she started her own company. She pretty much figured ‘I’ve done it myself and I’m happy to keep doing it myself.’ “ Tanner adds, “We’ve expanded to include other artists, but we are still primarily Ani’s label.”

So, if there’s no guarantee of getting rich and famous, what’s the point of signing with an independent label? Independent labels offer several advantages, such as more creative control, larger royalties and merchandise and promotion profits. It’s a great way for fledgling artists to break out of anonymity and distribute their music by manufacturing CDs or online promotion.

And in many cases, independent labels only sign a few artists in order to give each one more individualized attention. It’s easier for an artist to create a ‘niche’ in the industry and find a certain audience, as proven by Righteous Babe Records. “There isn’t someone who sits and listens to everything and says, ‘We should sign this artist,’ “ says Tanner. “To date, the artists we’ve released have come from Ani—people she admires. It’s quite different than other companies.” She explains, “Some of the artists, like Kurt Swinghammer, may not have seen a release in the U.S. if we had not put it out. They may not make ‘popular music’ but they are artists who are very passionate about their music.”

But no indie label is perfect. Some of the disadvantages to signing with a small indie are not having a lot of money for distribution, advertising or publicity. So you end up taking two big risks: The first—you may not sell many records (translation, don’t quit your day job,) and the second—if they’re not selling records, the label could go bankrupt, which means you’ve lost countless hours or work and money.

David Meme of Loca Records, a UK-based indie record company, confirms that these kinds of common problems in the independent music industry mean that small labels often have with a tough time faring against the majors, especially when it comes to promotion. “It is so expensive you cannot conceive,” Meme says. “And we have no chance of competing with the majors and major-independents. So, tiny labels and artists tend to rely on word-of-mouth, random and cheap promotional techniques and, in the end, sheer obstinate stubbornness [to promote records]. [You’ve gotta take the attitude] ‘this band is fantastic and I will wait until everyone catches on!’ To be honest, I think playing live is the best bet for independent promotion; that and the college or university tours.”

And just as there are different artists, there are several types of independent labels that an artist can choose from. Here’s a list for you to consider.

The first is the self-starter label such as DiFranco’s Righteous Babe. If you’ve got brains and guts, starting your own label may be the best thing for you. Originally, DiFranco was the sole artist signed to Righteous Babe. Now, there are thirteen successful artists who sell 3—5,000 records a year.

The second type of label is an independent online record label that sells music through an online catalogue or print-on-demand CDs. A prime example of a label with this kind of success is Magnatune. Magnatune maintains they want everyone to win. The company hand-selects artists and gives the artists an incredible 50% of all profits. Artists also retain all rights to their music, and they are free to sign with another label whenever they wish. “Artists who sign with Magnatune are independent themselves,” says Teresa Mangalo, Vice President of Music Licensing and Partnerships at the indie label. “They [musicians] are looking to partner with a label that will allow them to be creative and support them, as well as provide online distribution. With us, artists keep the copyright to their music and receive 50% of album sales. Basically, musicians love Magnatune. We make money for them.”

The third type of independent label is called the creative commons license label. This one’s a bit tricky, so pay attention. The creative commons license is a worldwide, non- profit organization that allows listeners to hear the music before they purchase it. The label doesn’t own the artist, and the artist doesn’t have to sign over his rights. By sharing music, artists are supported by fans and other artists.

Take UK-based Loca Records, for example. With six artists, they have chosen to non-exclusively release records under the creative commons license. After feeling suffocated by major labels and gypped by copyright laws, Loca feels the creative commons license allows them to fight for free speech and free expression. This frees them up to focus on the music. “I think everyone has suffered from the large corporate labels and their attempts to sew up the music industry and turn it into a factory,” Meme says. “[It is about] honesty. The labels don’t tend to make much money from their releases and so [they] do it for the love of music. This means that the artist is more likely to be talking to attentive, interested, if often overworked, people at the label who genuinely care about the music.”

And finally, the fourth type of label is a distribution system that does all the dirty work for a small fee.  Independent Records, for example, provides a “shell” for independent artists and catalogues. Independent offers a list of providers that register, master and distribute the release. The artist retains all ownership, licenses, publishing and profits from their release. So what’s the catch? Independent provides bar codes that you need to distribute, but you do all the hard work. They won’t market or sell your album for you.

Whether you decide to don a pink tutu and tights or sprint off to start your own label, independent labels offer you plenty of choices. You may not get rich and famous right away, but you’ll be keeping it real, indie style.

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