MUB Blog 9: Music in Film

http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/11/disneys_frozen_gets_its_musica.html

This week’s topic of discussion is dramatic scoring for moving. I found this article about a man named Metzger who orchestrated music in Disney’s “Frozen, along with other films like “Lion King.” One statement that spoke to me from the article is, “Arrangers are almost invisible, and Metzger is particular low key.” Why is it that names of specific musicians (usually instrumental musicians) seem to be taken for granted? We talked a lot about how music is harder for the average person to appreciate to a full extent. Music, unlike most arts, is not tangible. It is a concept. The product of a musician is his or her performance. For the audience, it is not something they can take home with them. It’s an experience. For arrangers especially, they work behind the scenes for the people who will make their music come to life. No one ever gives Mozart credit after they hear a brilliant Mozart concerto being performed. They give the performer and product praise.

            This article also describes movie music’s process, specifically, Frozen’s music process. Someone writes music for Metzger and he orchestrates and arranges. Then, the music is shipped to LA where live musicians record a 500 page score in a matter of five days. Arrangers like Metzger work many hours a day every day of the week for about four to eight months at a time. He earns two to four times his fee from royalties.

            When I think about film music, it’s not different from any type of music written to be performed for a production of any sort. I am specifically thinking about music arranged for marching band, but this goes for original plays also. Sure, there are a few steps that are skipped in small productions, but the concept is generally the same. The director hires or pays an arranger. When the music is put together with a group, it is determined as satisfactory by the director. If not, the process is repeated.

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MUB Blog 8: Managers, Agents, and Producers

I was a little confused about the difference between managers, agents, and producers, so I decided to look it all up and put it in a blog.

What is a manager? To be a personal manager, one must be organized, straightforward, honest, and an effective communicator. The personal manager must be able to seek expertise and have good industry contacts. Most of all, the personal manager must believe in the artist and share the same goal and vision as the artist. The manager works for the artist and must represent the artist accordingly. A personal manager will guide and advise the artist in his or her career.

What is an agent? They can have different names: booking agents, talent agents, and sometimes, artist’s manager (which can be a little confusing). These people can serve as the middleman who delivers artists to talent buyers. Local agents handle booking—they try to get venues to have liver performances. Boutiques, specifically, try to book only live events. An agent’s primary focus is to obtain employment for the artist.

What is a producer? Their job is to create sound recordings. Unlike managers who have creative control, producers may or may not have the right to make artistic judgments. Most likely, the producer will share the creative control with the artist. Producers, like managers, must have people skills because they will build relationships with the group they are recording for. Within this category, there is also the production manager, not to be confused with personal manager. These people deal with the business affairs of production.

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Sources: Music Business Handbook Chapter 8, 9, and 12.

http://www.sagaftra.org/content/agents-and-managers

MUB blog 7: Musician contracts

I googled “ridiculous musician contracts” and got these two links. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Music/story?id=6461409

http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-15-ridiculous-celebrity-backstage-demands-2012-4?op=1

Whether it was from a reliable source or not, it was really interesting to see all the possibilities of musician contracts and their needs for specific things. My favorite was Kayne West’s “plethora of alcohol.” I suppose if I was a big musician being hired, I would ask for at least one crazy “out there” request, just to see if my hirers are reading my contract. In the ABC news article, they mention that Van Halen asks for the brown M&M’s to be picked out to see that promoters pay attention to even the littlest of things. If these needs are met, then they can be assured that all the important things are taken care of. It’s a lot of pressure to be a performing artist, so the last thing they need is to stress out about their lemons not being sliced in little wedges. It’s reasonable as long as it’s possible. These top musicians have every right to make sure that their promoters are the real deal. They might get a bad rep for asking for specific things (“divas”), but they need to make sure the job they are being hired for will be organized and meet all their performance needs. If I were to ask for specific things, it will all be my favorite foods, just because I would really want my favorite foods.

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MUB Blog 6: Networking

Isaac Holt, owner of Full Scope Productions is an example of how networking can land you an important job. The first thing he said is to always be in networking mode. You never know when and where you might meet someone who can help you out later. That’s not to say that you should only meet people with an incentive to make use of them, but you should always present yourself professionally to everyone you meet. Knowing “people” is a powerful tool in the music industry. You may be able to land a job because you were mentioned in a conversation. You must also “show up.” This is probably one of the hardest things to do because it can be scary to be in a new situation, but once you are there, you’ve already created a name and a face for yourself. With the advancement of technology, it can be easy to know more people, but face-to-face contact will always be more important.

Paula Morgan, direct of the Lawson Academy, emphasizes the importance of business relationship. There must be respect and willingness to understand. Listening is also an important part of a networking experience. It gives the customers a sense that you care about what they are saying. It connects you with people and their ideas. Customer loyalty goes a long way in networking—not just to their business, but being loyal to the relationship will set certain people apart in the music industry.

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