A music in film spotlight: Before the Music Dies

Bob Dylan's long-winded, socially critical compositions would not fit the modern recording industry's model for a successful pop artist, and yet, he is revered among musicians and fans for his brilliant storytelling and ability to capture an era with his music. But what if he had never been given the shot? How would the history of American music and Rock & Roll been affected?

The history of the music industry would not be the same without transformative artists such as Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, among a multitude others.

Director Andrew Shapter and Producer Joel Rasmussen explore the disenfranchisement of the modern musical artists in the shadow of million-dollar pop entertainers funded and created by music recording and entertainment giants in the documentary Before the Music Dies, released in 2007.

This one-hour and 28-minute film features interviews with legendary musicians from a variety of genres and decades including Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt; Pop Music Critic for USA Today Edna Gundersen; CBS News Sunday Morning Contributor Nancy Giles; Secrets of the Pros, Inc. Founder Ken Walden; an anonymous Clear Channel executive; other recording industry professionals; and, of course, music fans from across the country.

Shapter and Rasmussen conduct an experiment to demonstrate how pop stars, American culture's prized celebrities, are created and hyped up with a formula that is evermore evident in today's entertainment industry.

The issues addressed in this documentary filmed five years ago still fester in the undercurrent of the growing indie music circuit.

With the advent of the internet and home recording software, musicians across the U.S. and around the globe have the power to write, record, produce and promote their own music records without the backing of recording industry conglomerates. However, the business motivation of titans like Clear Channel, among other entertainment corporations, affect how fans hear and discover music and musicians' ability to be exposed to the masses.


Watch the film on Hulu and share your thoughts about where today's music industry is heading in this article's comment box.

FTF Music Conference harmonizes music, business at Kent State

Kent, Ohio -- Congregate nearly 30 musicians in a room together and a business discussion is not what one would expect to overhear. However, business was precisely what attendees discussed at the First Annual FTF Music Conference and Showcase in April. In today’s entertainment-saturated economy, musicians are entrepreneurs with a product worth more than $6 billion per year, said Ed Brennan, Wind-up Records radio promotions manager.

The four-day event was held at Kent State University on April 22 through April 25. The conference drew in a diverse collection of musicians and recording industry professionals from Northeast Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Artists learned that building a career in the music industry is a complex venture that takes knowledge, networking and persistence.

“That’s what this whole thing is about,” Jeff Gargas, FTF Records president and conference founder, said about the event. “It’s the fact that your band is a business, your music is a product. You’ve got to learn how to sell it and do it the right way while staying true to yourself and going after your dream.”

A compilation of 20 panels comprised the conference agenda. Discussion topics included songwriting, recording, licensing and touring. Panelists hailed from New York-based Wind-Up Records, Boston-based Digital Bear Entertainment and Cleveland-based Little Fish Records, among other industry-leading companies. Each panelist shared the consensus that central to a successful band is a business plan.

Smart artists are hot on the market

John “Jack” Storey, Independent Music United director of optimism, said, “the day of the dumb artist is dead.” That message resonated throughout the event as panelists explained that today’s industry leaders expect more than talent. Artists have to know how to sell their art, Gargas said.

During the “Your Music Business Plan” panel, NEO Soul Entertainment President Maurice Martin asked how many bands in the audience had written down target demographics for their brand of music. About half of the audience raised their hands. However, hands plummeted when Martin asked how many had written out a short-term or long-term plan for how to promote to identified demographics and grow the band’s business.

“People will help you and finance you if you can lay out your financial plan, lay out your market plan and target demographics, things of that nature,” Storey said, adding, “People are going to want to give you money because you are the only band they will have ever met to hand them a legitimate business plan.”

Likening the business plan to a roadmap, All Hail Records Owner and Entertainment Attorney Tony Clark said it ought to cover every possible route and every contingency to get the band to where it is going. He noted that most artists know where they are at and know where they would like to go but often need help filling in the details of how to get there. There is often a disconnect between the artist’s frame of mind and a business’ structured outlook, according to Little Fish Records President Larry Koval.

“We’ve been working with bands and artists for a few years and I can tell you right now, one of our biggest obstacles, as a management group, is the artist mentality versus the business mentality,” Koval said. “Know your limitations. Know your capabilities. There are people out there to help you. There are attorneys. There are management groups. There are law firms. Use those resources whenever it’s possible.”

Musicians identify career options

In an interview following a song critiquing session, Jordan Tishler, producer and artist manager, Digital Bear Entertainment, said that the most important aspect of events like the FTF Music Conference is the educational and networking experience. Conferences are valuable when artists can ask questions to professionals who are working in the industry everyday, he said. Starting at 11 a.m. each day, panels discussed various avenues musicians can take to make a living off of their music.

“My goal isn’t to go out, play shows and be the rockstar. I have a recorded product. I’m looking for publishing, licensing deals. I’m trying to learn more about that,” songwriter Kevin Conaway said.

Aspiring hip-hop producer and artist manager Aaron Bryant, known locally in Akron as A-1, wanted to learn how to launch an independent record label. He said the panels provided reassurance that he is doing the right thing. Vocalist Justice Hilliard and his heavy metal band, 3SO, shared Bryant’s sentiment that the panel discussions reinforced the progress they have made on their own business and marketing strategies.

“When [Jeff from FTF Records] told us that he was going to be putting this conference together, we saw it as yet another opportunity to better educate ourselves in the music industry, and critique and fine tune our efforts that we work so hard for,” Hilliard said.

One-to-one mentoring sessions allowed individual musicians or bands to meet privately with a field expert who helped to identify goals and advise the artist(s) on how to achieve those goals. Sarah Lamreaux, heavy metal vocalist, Catera, met withTake Action Media President Niki Sapp for more than one hour to review her music and discuss the band’s marketing plan.

After work, musicians must play

3SO headlined the opening night of the FTF Music Showcase at The Outpost on Route 43 in Kent on April 22. The showcase featured more than 30 local and regional acts throughout the weekend including The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, Maid Myriad, Vitium, and Winslow.

Artists mingled with industry leaders and each other, using the relaxed environment to connect. Making a break in the industry is just as much about business as it is being in the right place at the right time and presenting yourself well to whomever you meet, Brennan said.

“You’re at an event right now. You don’t know who’s in this audience. The way you present yourself, the way that you carry yourself, the way you deliver what you say. Attitude is everything. You don’t know how far that will get you,” Sapp said.

Storey agreed and encouraged the artists to get to know and support one and other, connect with fans and find the right people with whom to work. He emphasized that the music industry is a community and it is necessary to help each other out.

“Everybody’s in this together,” Storey said.

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Note: All photos and graphic design images featured were taken, created and contributed by Lesley.Anne.K Photo Design.

Corrections: In the first publication of this article, Independent Music United was misrepresented as Independent Artists United; Kevin Conaway's last name was misspelled as Conway. The errors were corrected on May 12 and May 13, 2010.

Thank you to all readers who provide feedback, keep me on my toes and help to ensure that all information is reported accurately.