The Times are Changing - Engllsh Major in the Music Industry
August 14, 2012
Independent Music Industry Report
I’ve heard it said that many writers secretly want to be rock stars. I’m not sure if it is true, but upon hearing the generalization, I consider my childhood dreams. Like most writers, I wanted to be a writer as soon as I began reading “chapter books.” I don’t recall envisioning it as a career, but was fascinated by the craft of writing and wanted nothing more than to emulate what I read. My true, secret dream was to be a singer like Mariah Carey and then a world famous ballerina like Maria Tallchief.
In his essay, Poetry and Ambition, Donald Hall analyzes the developmental stages of the poet, which rationalizes the writer/rock star generalization. Hall says,
At twelve, say, the American poet-to-be is afflicted with generalized ambition. (Robert Frost wanted to be a baseball pitcher and a United States senator: Oliver Wendell Holmes said that nothing was so commonplace as the desire to appear remarkable; the desire may be common but it is at least essential.) At sixteen the poet reads Whitman and Homer and wants to be immortal. Alas, at twenty-four the same poet wants to be in the New Yorker. . . 1
At twenty-four, I’m at what Hall describes as, the “petty egotism of the self” stage. However, I’m also at a stage where I have made up my mind that poems will not make me rich or illustrious and I don’t want them to. As I near graduation like a slug through syrup, I realize the necessity to make my degree work for me, because, as I am often reminded, loans don’t pay themselves. The “petty egotism,” while a negative and annoying quality, pushes me to go beyond the obvious choices, such as remaining a teller at a bank and working my way up. I force myself to remember the career options I discovered were available to me while taking the English Career Prep course. I'm not going to be a "rock star," but I can work for one. And thus begins the research of an industry that I have decided to thrust myself into with naïve ambition.
"I would sooner fail," said Keats at
Why I Chose Independent Music
I chose to research the independent music industry because I’m often trying to steer clear of “the man,” and believe in supporting musicians who are interested in keeping ownership of their music as well as their creative rights. And yet, I also listen to commercially produced music and sometimes feel like it’s impossible not to contradict myself. When it comes to independent music, it truly gives me an incomparable feeling knowing the songs were written directly from the artist’s heart, or that they’re collaborating with some of their best friends in the world, not just someone who will help them sell records. In my opinion, the independent musician is a true artist, who does not create music to simply satisfy the masses. Independent music is important to me now more than ever as it becomes difficult to differentiate from what is authentic in so many aspects of everyday life. While researching, a quote from Frank Zappa helped me take a more in depth look at the industry.
"The whole music business in the United States,” Zappa said, “is based on numbers, based on unit sales and not on quality. It's not based on beauty, it's based on hype and it's based on cocaine. It's based on giving presents of large packages of dollars to play records on the air."
While this may be true for some record labels, The American Association for Independent Music, a nonprofit organization, is working to change this impression of the business. As of 2011, music is a 67.6 million dollar industry worldwide. [2] While it has previously been difficult to track independent music statistics, the industry is now making an effort to not only track music by distributor, but by ownership. The American Association for Independent Music reports that this change will be significant in showing the influence of independent music in the world today. The association reports that as of July 2011, “Indies now lead the market with 31.2% of album and TEA (Track Equivalent Albums) sales.”[3] In an opinion editorial piece, The President of the association, Rich Bengloff, states that it is counterproductive for the Independent music cause when “potential business partners believe that the four majors control 90% of the U.S. music market and deserve preferential treatment and better terms than our members do.”[4] I believed the same thing, and after reading a Wikipedia article on the industry, the claim was confirmed without sources to back it up. The association’s efforts to stress the importance of independent music statistics being shared accurately also seems to be most about giving the industry hope, so that musicians may continue believing that their art isn’t all for nothing.
“All of our independent label members have one thing in common: They are small-business people who invest in their love of music to bring it to fans and at the same time try to make a living during this transformative period in the music industry,” Bengloff said. “Let's not shortchange them for the economic recognition that they collectively merit and deserve.”4
I’ve heard it so many times, “Rock and Roll is Dead,” “Hip-hop is Dead,” and there are so many articles floating around the internet that say, “no one is buying full-length albums anymore” or wondering why the average American spends less on music than they did ten years ago. It has honestly made me paranoid about the state of music and reading the article by Bengloff gave me faith. I imagine that independent music lovers are still buying full-length albums because the artists are producing quality over quantity. And how could Americans not be spending less on music than they did ten years ago with the progression of technology? The times are changing and we can either fear it, or work with it. As the world continually moves towards a state of higher consciousness, the independent record industry will grow significantly in the coming years.
Further research led me to consider the fact that most independent artists aren’t making their money from album sales. They’re making it from other streams of revenue, such as touring and merchandise sales. But even with all the hope and optimism that the independent music industry will pick up in the future, it’s still not easy out there in the world for the independent artist. Most of them are certainly not living like “rock stars.”
Roles for the English Major
I’ve read a few places, and it makes perfect sense, that if you want to work in the independent music industry, you have to be passionate about music. I can’t imagine many people would pursue it if they weren’t, but it is said that you have to love it enough to accept that it is not the most secure career and it might not help you pay off your student loan debt as fast as you’d like. Heather McDonald, indie music writer at about.com says, “Having a belief in the rights of indie artists helps a lot, too. It can be incredibly frustrating, emotional and disappointing. And I wouldn't change a minute of it.” [5]
McDonald's suggestion is to first find work at an indie label. She also mentions that sometimes they aren’t hiring or don’t know they need someone, so it's important to make contacts and ask. Because of this, at a smaller label you’ll also be taking on many roles; but that’s the best part. Whether you’re responding to emails or sending out CDs, you’ll be gaining a lot of experience in the industry and also making connections. Entry-level work means entry-level pay so that's something to consider if money is high on your priority list. There also seem to be many opportunities online to apply for internships at indie labels.
There's also the position of a Public Relations Specialist, which Careercoach.com says usually requires a four year degree. The website says that a PR Specialist will, “Engage in promoting or creating good will for individuals, groups, or organizations by writing or selecting favorable publicity material and releasing it through various communications media. May prepare and arrange displays, and make speeches.”[6] At an entry-level position, Career Coach shows a starting pay of $11.12/hr and at it’s highest wage $35.68/hr. However the website data does not specify the indie music industry.
A Booking Agent is another job in the industry, which is an asset to indie musicians who want more time to focus on their music. A Booking Agent sets up gigs for the musicians and usually makes 10-15% of the profits from the show. While there aren’t any educational requirements, it’s important for an agent to know as much about the industry as possible. This is beneficial to the English major who likes to research and read because there are many articles and books out there to help. It also seems as though networking is important. As an introverted English major myself, I would need to read books on networking and brush up on my social skills.
I mentioned this in my previous industry report about the real estate industry, and I believe it still applies to music. An English major interested in a career in the independent music industry should also consider earning a certificate in financial planning, which requires 36 credit hours at Metropolitan Community College. They can also consider taking stand-alone classes; such as accounting or personal finance. These are important because if they decide to take the freelance route, these will be very important things to know. And while not required, it will give a better understanding of the industry. Classes cover topics such as investments, financial planning principles, risk management, insurance, income tax and retirement planning. These may seem like dull subjects to most English majors, but these are also topics we should all possess basic knowledge of in our current world, making it a win-win. It might also allow you to pick up a trade in the music industry that isn’t as glamorous as the others, but is indeed needed.
By receiving this certificate, English majors will understand the groundwork for the industry; create career stability, as well as the ability to understand our own finances. A background in finance can be used in the industry, but is also versatile enough to allow for other options. While I am passionate about music, I have come to appreciate the idea of having a plan B. Even if it takes a while to get there, what we English majors really want after forking over a quarter of a small mortgage to education and graduating with mounds to mountains of debt is financial security.
Lastly, I am endeared to musicians who were once English majors. After studying creative writing, poetry, and literature, I imagine many English majors could come up with some brilliant songs. While a challenge, all of the careers in the industry listed above can be DIY’d by a single musician. The best advice I can find is: don’t give up.
“They can only say no”
About.com writer Heather McDonald also does freelance PR and occasional booking and tells her story here [7] about how she got started in the music industry because of a bake sale and by heeding to the saying, “They can only say no.” I recommend it if you’re interested in getting into the industry. There’s a popular saying in rock n’ roll that Christopher Knab at musicbizacademy.com says the music industry should live by: "Just because it happened to you, doesn't mean it's interesting" Dennis Hopper (Search and Destroy). I have my own story about how I finally started listening to “they can only say no,” and am trying to find my way into the industry. It's interesting to me and I never finished recording it in my diary, (my hand got tired) so I’m recording it here.
My Story
“Whatchu mad about, girl? A short middle-aged man inquired. “Smile!”
“You don’t know my life!” I screamed in my head as my face forced a smile as I headed over to the stand of a local radio station.
“Free CDs,” the sign read. “Take as many as you want.” The table was piled full of CDs, many unopened. It seemed to good to be true and I began looking for album covers that caught my eye. One had pretty, brown paper and a sweet country name. Another had psychedelic jellyfish and promises of zoning out on the couch while my boyfriend played Call of Duty. Lastly, I grabbed an aquarium blue case with the black silhouette of a wild haired man that reminded me of Bob Dylan. The album was called “American in Love,” by John Elliott and I listened to it for two years straight. His songs spoke to me in a way music hadn’t in a long time. It was like reading a book that I never wanted to end.
One crisp fall night, two years later, he was playing a house show in Benson, Omaha and I went alone; regardless of the fact that I didn’t think I was cool enough. It felt like a once in a lifetime chance and I wasn’t going to blow it because of my insecurities. I heard some of my favorite songs float from the backyard as I worked up the courage to get out of my car. The show was on a nice guy named Wayne’s back porch and it was beautiful and perfect. I made it just in time to hear the last song by a musician named Raina Rose and her voice made me forget myself. Her husband sang harmony and her baby boy was in her belly. I was happy to have been exposed to her music.
I got to talk to John about his music and he told me about how Ernest Hemingway was one of his favorite writers and that he influenced his music. He was thrilled to hear how I found his album. He asked Raina Rose if she remembered when he sent out those promotional CDs and they kind of laughed. A year later I messaged John on Twitter asking if I could work for him and he said I couldn’t have asked at a better time. He was going backpacking and wouldn’t have access to email or phone and needed help with publicity.
The sentence that used to be here said, "I've always had dreams of working in the music industry but I didn't know how to make them into a reality," but that's not true. It probably just sounded good the first time I wrote it. The truth is, it never crossed my mind to work in the music industry. I guess your subconscious finds ways of bringing things to you that you never knew you wanted. This is only the beginning of my research, as I have a lot to learn. I’m excited to dig deeper and immerse myself in this new world. However this happened, I'm thankful.
John Elliott http://thehereafterishere.com/americaninlove
[1] Hall, William, Poetry and Ambition, Poets.org
[2] http://grabstats.com/statmain.asp?StatID=67
[3] http://a2im.org/2011/07/26/billboard-unveils-new-market-share-statistics-indie-labels-are-number-1/
[4] http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/a2im-disputes-billboard-soundscan-s-label-1005057292.story
[5] http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cooljobs/a/indiemusic.htm
[6] http://greateromaha.emsicareercoach.com/ccindex.php
[7] http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cooljobs/a/indiemusic.htm
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