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"UNSIGNED AND MAKING IT" PROVIDES VITAL INFORMATION TO A MUSIC COMMUNITY FACING COMPLEX CHOICES

Industry Veterans Danny Benair, Mike Clink, Alexandra Patsavas, Tommy Tallarico, and
The 88 (Adam Merrin and Keith Slettedahl), Share Expertise For a
Capacity Crowd at The Recording Academy® Offices in Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Reaffirming its commitment to keeping its membership at the cutting edge of a changing industry, the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy® presented "Unsigned And Making It," the second in a series of programs hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter and the P&E Wing, focusing on new and alternate streams of revenue for artists, especially those not signed with a major record label. The panel discussion, which took place on August 21, brought together diverse and highly experienced members of the music community to discuss how the digital era has changed their ways of doing business while providing new opportunities.

The panelists presented a wide array of expertise, and while they confronted many of the difficult issues facing musicians and music producers today, they also conveyed the positive message — "When one door closes, another one opens." The discussion was moderated by Mike Clink, a versatile producer/engineer for such acts as Aerosmith, Guns 'N Roses, and Metallica who has successfully branched out into developing up-and-coming talent. He noted that while major label sales and production are down and radio outlets are becoming ever more elusive, film and television licensing opportunities are increasing, and video game music budgets are expanding. Adam Merrin and Keith Slettedahl of the band The 88 acknowledged that it was licensing income that had kept them viable as indie artists until their recent signing with Island/Def Jam. Merrin noted that The 88 discovered this revenue stream through some very old-fashioned efforts. "We'd go to every show we could and work the sidewalk passing out CD samplers," Merrin explained. "Danny [Benair] got one and a couple days later called us and said he was interested in placing some of our songs. I think the key for us has been that being in a band isn't just playing instruments and playing shows — it's a business."

Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, whose company Chop Shop Music works with such hit TV shows as "Grey's Anatomy," "Rescue Me," and "Without A Trace," picked up the thread, explaining that her song-by-song search for exceptional cuts often led to unsigned or non-mainstream performers. "Music supervisors are different from labels because we can look for one great song — we don't have to worry about how handsome someone is or how willing they are to tour. You just find the very best song for the TV show or film scene you're working with." This prompted Clink to observe that music supervisors, along with TV and film producers, were essentially "today's new A&R departments." Along the same lines, composer and video game industry icon Tommy Tallarico, founder of the Game Audio Network Guild, emphasized that the world of video game music presents great opportunity for artists. "There's really no such thing as 'video game music' anymore," he said. "You have to define the music by its genre. As a composer you can go from working with a banjo player to working with an orchestra to working with a speed metal band depending on the game."

Danny Benair, former music publishing executive and current chief of Natural Energy Lab music placement service, reminded the audience that a straightforward passion for music is still a prime motivator at this time when new business models are being built. "I do what I do because I'm still basically a geeky record collector guy at heart, and if I didn't listen to music for a living I'd still be listening to music all the time anyway," he told the audience. "You have to take your business seriously, but at the end of the day you have to love what you do."

Maureen Droney, Executive Director of the P&E Wing, reaffirmed The Recording Academy's mission to continue to bring the community together, adding, "We remain committed to bringing panelists like this together to share the benefit of their personal experiences with our members. Events like "Unsigned And Making It" are a great opportunity to interact with professionals who are on the cutting edge."

Photo File: PE_unsignedGrp1.JPG
Photo Caption: Shown from L–R: Executive Director of the P&E Wing Maureen Droney, Natural Energy Lab founder Danny Benair, The 88 members Adam Merrin and Keith Slettedahl, producer/engineer Mike Clink, Chop Shop Music owner Alexandra Patsavas, and Video Games Live founder Tommy Tallarico.

Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/WireImage.com ©2007
Photographed by: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com

Photo File: PE_unsignedGrp2.JPG
Photo Caption: Shown from L–R: Adam Merrin and Keith Slettedahl of The 88 speak about how they achieved success as unsigned artists in the music industry today.

Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/WireImage.com ©2007
Photographed by: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY® Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. In its 50th year, The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

Currently, 6,000 professionals comprise the Producers & Engineers Wing, which was established for producers, engineers, remixers, manufacturers, technologists, and other related creative and technical professionals in the recording community. This organized voice for the recording community addresses issues that affect the craft of recorded music, while ensuring its role in the development of new technologies, recording and mastering recommendations, and archiving and preservation initiatives. For more information, please visit www.producersandengineers.com.

Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

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Media Contacts:
Robert Clyne/Clyne Media, Inc./615.662.1616/robert@clynemedia.com
Lisa Roy/310.463.1563/lisaroyaudio@mac.com
Jennifer Keppel/The Recording Academy/310.392.3777

 

 

 

 

 

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