By Jerome Lindberg
U.B.’s
Producing and Selling Music Seminar Opens New Doors for Buffalo Artists.
If
there is one thing I know about musicians in Buffalo, it’s that they deserve a
shot. The cities music scene has only gotten bigger and better in the last ten
years, and with everything from punktastic cover bands to nationally recognized
artists, Buffalo is a great place to be a musician. In a way. In another way,
it’s tough out there. With all the technology available to bands and artists,
the past five years has seen an explosion in new talent across the country, and
you don’t have to headline the Viper Room to get a tune on the next Gossip Girl
soundtrack. So what’s a local band to do? A good start would be to head to the
Producing and Selling Music seminar at UB’s Amherst campus this Sunday.
Even
better for starving artists, it’s free.
Arranged
by the U.B. Jam Club, The American Federation of Musicians, and WBFO among
others, the seminar promises to touch on many topics pertinent to staying
afloat in the modern music industry. Topics include: Internet Royalties,
Licensing, Access to Local Stations, and Digital Sales: all matters that most
musicians need to know about, but don’t. New strategies for marketing and
promotion, both on and off the net, could help a lot of artists find a wider
fan-base, and could help ease the frustration of feeling like one voice
screaming in the middle of thousands.
In
addition to the knowledge that these presentations could offer, the seminar
will also feature a cadre of some of Buffalo and Western New York’s most
talented producers, musicians, and promoters. This is your chance to ask Dale
Anderson, famed music critic, label owner, and world changer just what made him
record all those Ani Albums? Or to ask Mark Morette what Rick James was like.
Besides that, you might want to ask them some questions about the industry.
I’ve got a feeling they know what they are talking about. In addition, A.J.
Petri, who produced the 10,000 Maniacs, will discuss bringing out the best
sound from your artists, and Stuart Shapiro will discuss the legal
ramifications of intellectual property.
Another
interesting partner in this venture is the Future of Music Coalition, which is an
excellent online resource for local musicians. While the site itself is
national, you can find information on New York related topics like touring, Low
Power F.M. and musician’s health insurance. (Bet you didn’t know that even
existed either.) Begun in 2000, the site is a template for many small labels,
and the opening lines to the site’s “manifesto” are difficult to argue with:
“The
history of the American Music Industry is a disheartening one, which largely
details the exploitation of artists and musicians by opportunists and those
without the musicians’ best interests at heart.
For too
long musicians have had too little voice in the manufacture, distribution and
promotion of their music on a national and international level and too little
means to extract fair support and compensation for their work.”
Dang right.
It’s about time that musicians realize that not only is the dream of a Malibu
Beach House and a ten record contract slowly slipping away, but that the system
that was set up to propagate that lifestyle has de-railed. The Future of Music
Coalition is helping artists find new ways to expose their art and talent to
the world, without having to wait for a record deal or water down what they
produce. Kristin Thomson, the education director of the Coalition will be at
the seminar as well.
While that’s
a lot of firepower for a seminar, one more name rounds out the list of Local
Luminaries, Jon Topper, General Manager of Fatboy records and manager of Moe.
He’ll discuss the shift towards independent labels and artists, as well as some
of the aspects of his weekly Thursday night live radio show on WBFO, “Nighttime
on the Border.” The show, which airs at 8:00 on Thursdays, brings Buffalo into
contact with music and artists that rarely get a shot at the radio, giving new
bands a chance to find an audience.
I don’t think
I could count on nine hands the amount of excellent musicians and bands that
have come from Buffalo or still reside here. For many, the instant nature of
the new music dynamic in our country is exciting, but limiting, and I’d hate to
see any more great bands break up because they did not know how to market or
produce themselves. Whether you’re a
D.I.Y. punker or the next T-Pain, get to the Student Union on the
Amherst Campus from 1:00 to 5:00 this Sunday. You might find that
there is a lot you can still learn about the music industry, especially right
now, when all bets are off.
UB Student
Union
Sunday, 1 –
5PM