Artist Survival Manual II

     Please contact them directly for songwriter packets and publisher packets. It does not cost to become a songwriter member of ASCAP/ BMI/SESAC/Nashville but it does cost to become a publisher affiliate.

V.  THE RECORDING PROCESS BEGINS

     Let’s examine the first step that you are going to take with your new record company. First, you are going to be sending a deposit to a trust fund that the management company or record company maintains to pay the various people you are going to be hiring to participate in your project.


     The deposit that you are sending will cover the following:

     1. Secure the issuance of your recording contract.

Sample Artist Contract

     2. Guarantee your optional single release for the following calendar year.

     3. Allows the producer of your project to advance half of the deposit to the players and the remainder to the studio so that he can put you in his recording book and guarantee a studio date that’s convenient time for you to record when everyone is available.

     4. Begin working with you and the arranger on your songs that you will be recording for your presentation tape.

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AMOUNT OF YOUR DEPOSIT

     Normally, a producer will ask you for a minimum of $1000.00 US Dollars to get started on a project of this magnitude. Since most recording projects run into the thousands of dollars, this is always required in order to confirm your studio time and get started. Depending on the total amount of the budget, the producer may require as much as 50% of the budget to start.

TYPE OF DEPOSIT

     Most large companies have a trust account that the potential artist will simply wire transfer his deposit from his bank to the producer’s bank where the company or record label is doing business. This will be confirmed to the producer by his bank within 2-3 average business days. Always include your Social Security Number on the wire transfer and your legal name so that the deposit will get credited to your recording project. After the wire transfer is made, call the producer’s office and let them know that you’ve made your deposit and would like to receive a draft recording agreement as well as your songs. On the next page is a sample document you will need to complete your wire transfer at your local bank.

NASHVILLE BANKS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

Entertainment Division
U S BANK
1711 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615-824-7012 (wk)
615-254-9660 (fax)
U S BANKING ONLINE

Entertainment Division
Amsouth Banking
33 Music Square West S#102A
Nashville, TN 37203
615-748-2122 (wk)
615-748-2176 (fax)

Entertainment Division
Sun Trust Banking
1025 16th Ave. South S#101
Nashville, TN 37212
615-748-4457 (wk)
615-329-9705 (fax)

Entertainment Division
Banc Of America
1 Nation's Bank Plaza/2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37239
615-749-3842 (wk)
615-749-4890 (fax)

     On the next page, you will find a sample "wire transfer" sheet that is provided for your information. All of the items that are on this page are necessary to wire the deposit to your producer. If he doesn't have a printed form, then just ask him for the following information. A special "quick wire" can be sent and that money will reach him in just a couple of hours.

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2004-2005 BANK-TO-BANK

DEPOSIT WIRE TRANSFER INFORMATION

DEPOSITS TO THE RECORDING TRUST FUND

Send your full recording deposit to the following account:

U S Bank

ABA CODE: 000 0000 00

Capitol Advertising & Management

ACCOUNT: 000000000

For Information:

Entertainment Division
U S BANK
Entertainment Branch
Wire Transfer Department
1711 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
615-824-7012
Or you may call:

Robert D. Metzgar
Capitol Advertising & Management
1214 16th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212-2902
615-321-0600 (work)
615-321-0182 (fax)
E-mail Notification
615-512-0312 (voice mail)

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Making your wire transfer deposit from your bank:

Copyright Registration Office
COPYRIGHT OFFICE
Library Of Congress
Washington, DC 20559-6000
For Quick Information Call:
202-707-9100 (hot line number)
202-707-3000 (main number)

     There are two main types of forms that you can request from the Copyright office. The PA Form (with instructions) allows you to copyright one song with a separate title for the sum of $30.00 US Dollars. The SR Form (with instructions) allows you to copyright a collection of songs on a cassette tape for the same amount of money. Before you do anything, log on to the United State Copyright Office and review the forms. Then in order to print the forms, you must download the Adobe Free Reader 4.0 that accompanies the forms.

     2. What you may want to consider is recording some of your own material along with some songs that the producer finds for you written by some of the hit songwriters in Nashville. However, this is up to the individual artist and singer to decide with the help of his producer and arranger.

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     3. Finally, don’t forget to record the songs that you feel like you perform the very best. Without a hit performance, even a great song will go unnoticed. A good example of this is the song entitled, “One Day At A Time.” This song has been recorded over 500 times, but the only person to have a hit record, a hit book, and hit movie with it is Christy Lane. Most of what the public gets as a song is aired on the radio is the feeling of the performance. A great production is wonderful, but without a stirring passionate performance, the song will never be a hit record.

PREPARATION FOR THE STUDIO

     You are going to be working with some of the most skilled musicians and arrangers in the world. So preparing for your performance is very important. The following is a list of things that you’ll need to have upon coming to Nashville and recording:

     1. Lyrics of your song typed out and sent to the recording company and producer ahead of time so that you can have a clear copy for the engineers at the studio at the time of your recording. Your copy of the lyrics should lay the song out in the exact order that the song is performed. Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus, Bridge, Repeat Chorus, Tag, etc. A copy of a well known popular song in the proper form is included in the Artist Survival Manual's Index.

     2. The musical "key" you sing the song in should be determined with the help of the producer and arranger. Get a key that’s close to your performance key and let the professionals decide the final key to record the song in.

     3. Commercial length of songs that get played on the radio are not long. They are approximately 2:30 to 3:30 minutes in length. That’s not to say that you can’t record some songs that are longer in length, but remember your single release needs to be kept at a tempo that radio is comfortable with and at a time that can be commercially viable in today’s radio markets.

     4. Practice in the privacy of your home and in the public places where you sing the songs that you are going to record. Know the melodies and know the song so well that changes during the recording session won’t throw you. Your vocal coach or producer will be helping you to do things in the studio that you’ve never done before so that your performance will be what it should be.

SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS:

     Here are some things that might help you to have a better, more enjoyable recording experience.

     1. Try to get to Nashville a day or so early to relax and rest, familiarize yourself with the studio, the hotels, and the various places that you are going to be needed during the recording sessions.

     2. Visit the producer at his office and make sure that any last minute details have been finalized. Get your artist contract in early, making sure that it’s signed and the trust fund is fully funded for your session.

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     3. The night before you record, take some special time for yourself and relax and get ready to give the best performance of your life in the studio. "Rest" is one of the most important things prior to recording. The day you record will be a very long and involved day with many complex things taking place and you’ll need all your energy.

     4. The office of the producer or management company will provide you with a list of the "choice hotels" that are closest to the studio. They will give you a map, and explicit directions to the recording sessions and if necessary will even make sure that someone meets you and takes you to the studio so that everything happens on time.

     5. Sessions in Nashville studios, begin at the following times: 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The big studios are always open year round and never shut off their equipment 24 hours a day.

     It is easier to start at 10:00 a.m. in the morning with the musicians, then do the master vocals with the artist in the afternoon. Normally you would begin working with the background singers in the evening. Mixing and mastering will start at the next available session after all of the background vocals, overdubs, and technical adjustments are finished.

     Usually, it is not necessary for the artist to be present when the background vocalists are working and certainly not necessary for the artist to be present during the mixing and mastering process. In fact, having the artist present simply slows down the overall process and causes the engineers to actually work much slower. A professional artist will allow other professionals to do their jobs without constant interruption.

THE DAY OF THE RECORDING:

     During the time the musicians are present, the producer and engineers are totally responsible for getting some 32-48 tracks of music, data, and other technical things recorded and preserved for the master recording session. The artist is not required to sing his "master vocals" during this time. The artist is only required to sing what is known in the music world as "scratch vocals." Later that afternoon the artist and vocal coach will approach the master vocals with the tracks that the musicians have laid down.

VOCALS ARE SO IMPORTANT!

     During the vocal sessions, please remember that the professionals who are working with you are going to try and get the greatest performance possible on the tape for your benefit as well as the benefit of the record company who will be releasing the record. Give the vocal arranger and coach your undivided attention and make sure that you follow his instructions. Later on that same day, you will have an opportunity to see professional background singers perform and they are in the studio to compliment the artist’s master vocals.

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A. THE RECORDING CONTRACT

     A sample recording contract is included with this manual. Most artists have at least 25 or 30 questions about their first recording contract if they are not familiar with the recording process and particularly with the language of the music business. Please call the office to discuss at length any questions that you may have about your recording contract. These contracts are not set in concrete and if there is something that you do not understand, it will be explained or changed so that you do understand it. The artist has the complete assurance that each and every thing that the management company does in his/her behalf is solely for their protection and for their benefit.

B. THE RECORDING EXPERIENCE

     There’s nothing in the world like arriving at the studio on the morning of your recording session and sitting down with your session leader to go through the songs that you are going to record. George Jones said that the thrill of recording in Nashville was the “greatest thrill of all.” I completely agree with him. You’re in for the thrill of a lifetime.

     The world’s greatest session musicians are gathering into the studio, getting up their sounds, chit-chatting about last night’s performance on television or working on Alan Jackson’s session yesterday. The producer’s have arrived, the engineers have finished putting the last minute touches on the recording gear, and the final specs are taken down for the morning’s session. Finally, you’ll hear the producer say, “Turn on the demo tape gentleman & let’s listen!”

     The creativity of the most talented team of musicians in the world is about to kick in. On their music stands is a sheet of paper with a little list of figures called a "numbers chart." You’ll be amazed that the entire song is written out in musical short-hand that the players read like it was their favorite passage from their mother’s cook book. The players run the song down with the session leader a couple of times and decide who is going to fill the various sections of the song. They get used to the chord progressions, tempo and changes and then suddenly like magic, the music seems to come alive in the room as in no other city in the world. You’re cookin’ now! This is the "Nashville sound" that’s sold literally billions of records around the world.

     In a few minutes you’ve learned what Nashville is so famous for. Nashville stands for one great musical phrase and that’s "Music that breathes!" Watch the players as they are going down on the musical tracks. They will be having the time of their life just groovin’ along with the music like there’s not a care in the world inside this room. And most of the time there’s not! When the producer feels that a particular track has captured the "absolute essence" of the song, then he will stop the players from continuing to play that track. They will then come inside the control room and listen to what they’ve done and fix any mistakes that might have been made until the music tracks are perfect.

     Now the artist has his master music track to sing with. This same process will be followed until all of the music tracks that are scheduled are "cut" or recorded. The make-up of the band is so important. And, it’s the job of the producer to hire a particular group of session musicians that will compliment the songs that are going to be recorded.

     1. A straight country session normally will consist of the following players and have the following list of people present: the producer, and co-producer, the session musicians will be comprised of drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, and keyboards.

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     Your "overdub instruments" will usually consist of dobro, harmonica, mandolin, lap steel and synthesizer sounds from a "sampling" unit. Other people present on a country session will be your master engineer, his assistants, your lead vocalist, background vocalists, and mastering and mix personnel.

     2. A straight southern rock session will have a different type of instrumentation and will lean more heavily toward the low end of the session featuring drums, bass guitar, lap steel and usually some brass instruments like a saxophone, trumpet or trombone. The tempo will be much faster and you’ll hear different types of sounds from the steel player and even the fiddle player if there’s one on the session.

     3. A Contemporary Christian session will be much different from the above sessions and will feature only 5 instruments in the rhythm section, but will add such instrumentation as organ, strings, more of an arranged and structured approach to the songs with a lot more multiple tracking passes and more background vocalists so that the sound is “radio friendly” to that radio format.

     After the music tracks are completed, you’ll have time to take a short break. Invariably artists always ask, “What kind of clothes should I wear to the studio?” Always come with very casual, loose-fitting clothes that allow you complete freedom to be yourself. I like to think of vocalizing in the studio as “singing up a storm in the shower with your bath robe on.” The king of soul, James Brown said, “I’ve got to feel….good!” And, that’s exactly the way you’ve got to feel in the studio …good……. real good.

     Yes, you’re permitted to bring in friends with you to the studio. But please don’t bring small children or pets. The studio is a place where everyone’s got to feel comfortable. Most studios will have a no pets, no children allowed policy and many of the more famous studios also have a “no-smoking” policy that’s strictly enforced during the time the artist is singing.

     After the artist finishes their master vocals with the help of the vocal coach that’s been assigned to them, the background vocalists will arrive to sing the harmony parts assigned to them by the vocal arranger. Each song should take the artist and background vocalists approximately 1-2 hours to complete. The experience of watching a SAG professional background arranger work with these vocalists is really quite exciting. Very few producers actually do the vocal coaching or vocal arranging as this work is left to specialists in this field.

     At the end of the first day, around midnight a fresh set of engineers will come on board to begin the mixing process. This takes several hours just to set the board for the mix day that follows tomorrow

C. MASTERING AND MIXING PROCESS

     This is the most technical part of the music experience. It is also the most important. A great engineer can give you a hit record if you leave him alone long enough but a poor mastering job and a bad mix can ruin an entire project. It is my policy to give the engineers all the time they need and stay out of their way until they are ready to play me their final draft of the mix that they have. It has been well said by the greatest engineers, “ Do you want this mixed fast enough to sound like crap through a goose, or do you want this done right so an engineer can get the greatest vocal mix possible? You can decide.