The Manager’s Corner- October
by Chris Daniels
I’ve managed my own band for 30 years and I’m in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. All that’s nice, but today’s music business is changing at light-speed and you have to be more engaged in the ‘biz’ than ever. Some things have not changed, careers are still built on some tried and true elements: great music, performance and timing. But today’s artists must work harder than ever to succeed. The good news is that we have new tools to help young musicians grow their fan base. The book I wrote for the course I teach at CU Denver on artist management is called DIY: You’re Not in it Alone. While you are ultimately responsible for your own career, these days it’s essential to make the most of all the help that is offered along the way.
Songwriting is the spark that lights all the fires in the music industry. Without that initial flame there is no Telluride Bluegrass Festival, no Sony Records and no publishing company landing a movie soundtrack “placement” for a songwriter. I’m not a big fan of songwriting contests but here in Colorado we have something special that includes some elements of juried song reviews and contests but much much more. The Durango Songwriters Expo is one of the great tools for songwriters. It’s for writers who are more than just hobbyists and have a commitment to the craft of songwriting. And it is this first week of October (2nd through 4th) at the Omni Hotel in Broomfield. What makes it special is that it is filled with workshops, panels, performances and just old-fashioned one-on-one mentoring. And the “hits” that are coming out of the Expo’s attendees are remarkable.
The current talk of the town is Meghan Trainor’s “All About The Bass” which is about as funny, sexy, fun and irreverent as a song with a hidden (or not so hidden) message can be. With 77 million YouTube views and another six million views from the Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, this is the epitome of a song ‘blowing up.’ But like all overnight success stories, Meghan’s is one of serious commitment to the songwriting craft that included her traveling from her home on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, to Colorado’s Durango Songwriter’s Expo. According to Wikipedia, “At age 17, Trainor attended the Durango Songwriter’s Expo (DSE) and Big Al Anderson of NRBQ introduced her to Carla Wallace of Big Yellow Dog Music. Trainor signed as a songwriter with Big Yellow Dog Music shortly after her 18th birthday, while she was still in high school. In 2011, Trainor wrote and self-released an album entitled I’ll Sing With You. She settled in Nashville full-time when she was 19. She has had songwriting cuts with Rascal Flatts, Sabrina Carpenter, R5, and many others. That’s a lot of hard work and timing and the beginning of that came with the commitment to attend DSE.
Meghan is not the only one whose efforts and collaborations at DSE have produced winning results. The list includes Allisa Moreno, Richard Harris, Sophie Rose, Billy Schafer, Ken Johnson, Rob Grad and my former student Olivia Rudeen who signed with Song Factory in Nashville after winning notice by the Nashville publisher at several different DSE events. And these are only some of the writers who have been part of the DSE success story and the recognition of talent that the expo makes possible, and it’s right here in Colorado.
What makes this important for you, the young songwriter who is just starting out? You probably have limited resources and it’s hard to afford the $250 Expo fee (it’s $299 after August 7th)? It’s simple. If you are at the point in your career where you are devoting your time and energy to songwriting – if you are starting to see some success with your songwriting and the performances or use of those songs (whether it’s a pop/rock cut you composed on your computer that is getting huge response in the clubs where you DJ or your country song that is getting good responses when you play out), then this is serious business. You are investing in your career.
Nick Forester of E Town and Hot Rize fame said that these days, successful musicians and songwriters are really like small business owners- “they are self-employed.” If you invest in a guitar or piano or computer you are investing in your future. It’s the same thing for the serious songwriter. DSE is an investment in the development of your craft, your talent.
It’s not for every songwriter. The DSE has a definite slant towards performing singer/songwriters in the Americana, pop/rock and country genre. If you write EDM tracks, the ‘listening sessions for pitching to TV and movies” will give you good information but they may not be worth your time or money. According to Jim Attebery, who co-founded the Expo in in 1996, “Often times we don’t have a lot of attendees in those genres (EDM, Hip Hop, Rap), but the industry pros we bring definitely work heavy in those genres.” There’s a lot of leeway in the categories too and songs like Trainor’s “All About The Bass” is a great example of a genre-bending hit. If you have not seen it – check it out. Do your research. Go to http://www.durango-songwriters-expo.com and download the registration form and look at what is offered. It’s a pretty broad cross-section of information. For example, I serve on the panel titled, “Do Your Own Thing” about surviving and thriving in the music business for independent and unsigned artists. We discuss concrete steps to take in creating a self-managed and self-promoted career.
Most of all, DSE is a place where writers come to find inspiration and camaraderie that results in better songs. The people who get the most out of it put the most into their time at the Omni Hotel in Broomfield and the other DSE sessions in other locations. (DSE has other great events above and beyond the October Expo). Songwriters go to panels, they go to pitch sessions, they go to listening sessions, they meet up with new writing partners, they get coaching on the songs they’ve written and they come out energized and writing better than when they went in. And that is pretty exceptional for any music conference.
Do I personally recommend it? That depends upon three main factors: (1) if your writing and music genre is well represented by what Durango is offering (2) if you are at a point with your songwriting where you are putting together a pretty good folio of material that you are performing whenever you get the chance, and (3) you have the time to make the most of the three day event. Those are the things that are key. Writers who stay at the hotel tend to spend a lot of late night sessions trading songs, co-writing and getting more out of it than those who head home…but that is an extra expense that is not always justified. The short answer is “yes” I do highly recommend it because this is where you see and hear songs and songwriters that are successful…and you learn where that entry level of professionalism, self-motivation and talent is key to a place at the table. To paraphrase the old-English saying, ‘it doesn’t matter if you are “above or below the salt” it’s getting a seat at the table that counts’- that’s especially true in the beginning of your songwriting career. DSE is a place where many new songwriters of every age have found a place at the table – and for some like Meghan she is not only above the salt, she is at the head of the table.
Category: Shop Talk
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