Good Morning Fast Trackers! To start of the week, we have some more FAQs answered by the wonderful Marcus Pernell! This is certainly worth a read: Hello and good evening again Fast Trackers! I welcome you to another installment of FAQ! One question I would like to be asked more is: What is artist development? My definition is quite elaborate BUT Ill try to keep it simple. Back in the grand days of Motown, when the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, The Supremes and so forth were topping the chart, they set up a system by which they would discover talent, groom the talent, manage the talent and guide them in their careers. The main focus was to have departments set up that catered to every aspect of what the artists or bands needed to be successful. It could be anything from singing lessons, vocal coaching, piano lessons etc. Keep in mind that Motown considered the people on their roster investments that kept them cranking out great music and making sure they were productive and happy. This meant a focus on the artists and bands having longevity in the music industry so that profits were maximized through the craft of said individuals. Circa years later. The South Koreans figured out a way to adapt the old Motown system to modern times. Keep the main idea intact BUT use modern technologies to the max--social networking. And using these means, they ar able to generate over 4 BILLION US DOLLARS PROFIT a year just exporting their entertainment which consists of music, film and dramas and much more! So now you have a very brief history of whats involved in artist development. So why dont the major record labels do this kind of thing anymore? My guess is it has to do with money. It does take a small fortune to discover talent then get them trained to a point where they have viable commercial value, meaning they can make money for the label. However, there is a Catch 22 there. If you dont invest the time, manpower and financial resources to launch an artist or bands career with longevity in mind, it could turn out to be a waste of time. So record labels will take the lesser of 2 evils and go with the Russian Roulette/Fast Food version of just putting out a single and cross their fingers and hope the record does well. Gone are the days, with the exception of most of the Asian market, of focusing on getting the talent ready for a lifetime career. Its now all about the hit single, the radio friendly track and the hit single, not about an album worth of songs that follow a concept from beginning to end. So what can you, as an artist or band do? As I said in a past post: * Financially invest in yourself * Educate yourself * Get as much experience performing, writing and practice as much as possible * Keep an eye on what happens in the Asian entertainment industry * Learn about the BUSINESS side of the music and entertainment industry. Its 99% business, 1% creative. * Develop your own style and original songs and learn basic music theory * If you sing, take and continue to take lessons and vocal coaching. * Generate enough of a stir that record labels seek YOU out, not you chasing them What I do is try to give young artists a basic education about the music industry. Ill look at conducting a music workshop soon here in Sydney. Keep an eye out for it! If you have any other questions, please ask or contact me via FB chat! Much love, peace and soul! God Bless yall MP
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 22:43:11 +0000