Get Out There & Do It

Hey Everybody! My name is Monika and I am an intern here at ArtiSans Label. I thought that, going into an internship here, I would have to slave away. You know... get coffee, run errands...wipe spit off of pop screens. Luckily AritSans Label is a company that cares about their interns, and actually gives the three of us here pretty interesting tasks that help us learn. Also, they have coffee that brews in less than 30 seconds.

I am a student at CSU Fullerton, studying communications with an emphasis in public relations. I am also a musician and have been singing forever and have been in choirs, musical theatre groups, a pop girls quartet, jazz choirs and bands, and I have been writing songs very recently. I know that I want a career within the music industry, and I am here at ArtiSans to continue finding my way down the path to a job in the music field! I'm also looking for inspiration for my music.

Here's the deal. I'm a new songwriter, and I'll admit it, I read a lot of books that could be considered creative "self-help" books. So if you can relate, here's what I am reading right now: "Popular Lyric Writing" by Andrea Stolpe, and "Living Juicy" by Sark. I put together a little motivational advice myself.

I often look for tips on "food for the creative soul" because I want to gain motivation and confidence in my art. I want to gain more confidence in my art so I can listen to what my gut is telling me-"you are going to be dry and cracked if you don't get out there and feed your soul with creative nourishment". I am teaching what I most need to learn.

Music makes the world turn. As musicians, music works its way into the depths of our souls, constantly feeding and nurturing our creative minds. We are to never stop being creative. Creativity builds and grows as we work hard in practice.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES, GET OUT THERE AND DO IT

1-Stop making excuses. Sure we have to-do lists, and e-mails to write. But we have the ability to choose the life we want to live. Reassess your priorities and do the things you want to do. Create your art.

2-It's OK to not be the best. We can't get down on ourselves because we don't write as many hit songs as the Beatles. Maybe we don't have the confidence and grooviness like Jimi Hendrix did. Relax, you have to start somewhere. And somewhere may be nowhere good. Create your art. You will see growth.

"Being an artist doesn't mean that you're a good artist. That was the bargain I first made with myself. "
-Paul Simon

3- Start a project. Whether it's writing a song, recording a song on Garageband, or going to play at an open mic, start getting out there and sharing what you've made. You will continue to grow in your talent and in confidence. Share your art.

You could start here...open mic hot spots:

1-Open Jam Night-Perqs in Huntington Beach
http://www.perqs.com/

2-Singer/Songwriters night-Marine Room in Laguna Beach
http://www.ocweekly.com/locations/marine-room-4292/

3-Open Mic night-The Gypsy Den in Santa Ana
http://www.ocweekly.com/events/open-mic-341503/

Hump Days with Jen Creed

I would like to welcome you to the first of many installments here on Wednesdays with me or as I like to call them, Hump Days with The Jen Creed. I am an Artist Coordinator here at ArtiSans Label, where I happen to be the most musically inept person in the building. As my picture accurately depicts, I don’t know how to play the acoustic guitar nor any instrument for that matter. Well, there’s one song I can play on the piano, but it’s only because my hands memorized it years ago. If you forced me to look at the sheet music it would all be over from there.

My aptitude for music is not what got me to this phenomenal place on Fender Avenue. The path that I have taken to get here has been a six-year long search to discover my abilities, strengths and ultimately what I love doing. I have worked extensively in television and short film. I’ve been a producer, editor, assistant director, utility, production assistant, location coordinator… basically I became the Jen of All Trades. Every job that I have had came about by a friend or a contact that I have forged along my career path. I am here because of my ability to step out and introduce myself to people. The perfect example is when I introduced myself to Mike (ArtiSans President) at a music festival in downtown Las Vegas right as he was trying to sit down and enjoy a quiet meal. It was the worst quiet meal he’d ever had, but he appreciated my company none-the-less.

So why am I an Artist Coordinator? Well, the process of starting and releasing an album is much like releasing a short film. They both require an insane amount of preproduction, budgeting, price shopping, permits, crew, equipment, etc. From the studio side, we help take care of all of those. We look at your goals for the next album, your budget, necessary business and legal forms, merchandise and we do all of the price shopping for you. I am the producer of your film who prepares and gathers everything to your liking so that you can sit back and be the director of your piece of art.

Swing through next week for some helpful tips on how to become a better networker to help guide you down your path.

Cheers!

The Three R's: R.A.D.A.R., Rewards, and Rizzo!

I am not sure where to begin, so like some of the other posts this week, I'll simply introduce myself and explain how I came to be here at ArtiSans. My name is Vickie, a.k.a. Rizzo. I am the R.A.D.A.R. manager for ArtiSans Label, and I will be your weekly Tuesday influence here on the ArtiSans Label blog. A few things about me, I play the piano and have dabbled in the oboe and violin in my younger years. I also love Karaoke. That's not really an important detail per say, but I find that it's best if everyone knows that up front.

Four years ago I was supposed to be looking for a second job waitressing or something, and stumbled upon an ad for a band looking for a keyboard player/background vocalist for a female fronted band. Something spoke to me in the ad, so I auditioned, was asked to join...and here I am over four years later a happy member of CONJOB.

Anyone in a band knows how much work it is. CONJOB works hard to operate efficiently as a business and we each have particular 'jobs' and daily duties to keep that business running smoothly. Since I am uber-organized, I take care of many of the administrative and organizational duties for CONJOB. I have spent countless hours assembling press kits, working on our MySpace and other social networking pages, creating banners, coordinating our merch needs, doing pre- and post-production work for our recordings, etc...all things that have taken away from my time working on our MUSIC. This is a dilemma faced by many artists trying to make music. And what a lot of people don't know is that if artists are lucky enough to get signed to a traditional label the work it takes to keep their business afloat only increases, as their control over their product decreases.

In comes ArtiSans Label, a record company that allows the artist to concentrate on what is their most important job - their MUSIC. Artists aren't plugged into a generic formula, rather ArtiSans works with them to determine their needs and put together a package that meets their needs while fitting in their budget. PLUS, the Artist will have someone to give them the special attention they need, provide the customer service that they deserve, and educate them so that they make their business more successful. There is no valid reason an artist spending money on their DIY release should not sign with ArtiSans Label.

So what is R.A.D.A.R.? Literally its an acronym for 'Rewarding Artist Discovery And Referral'. The best marketing a company can get is word of mouth, and the R.A.D.A.R. program rewards advocates for referring business to ArtiSans. We know that the best way to reach new Artists is through their friends, fans, and fellow musicians. We provide R.A.D.A.R. Advocates with the tools and materials they need to enter into a dialogue about ArtiSans, and if an artist signs with ArtiSans Label, the advocate who referred them gets rewarded with either cash or studio time.

And of course, as an advocate you get to work closely with me...what can be better?

More information regarding R.A.D.A.R. can be found at:
www.artisanslabel.com
or
radar.artisanslabel.com

What is Your Statement?

I was classically trained on the piano at very young age. Bach, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky were a few of my first friends. Then at age eleven I discovered the beautiful sounds of the 70's punk rock movement. In three months flat I bought a drum kit and started my first band. In high school my musical journey continued. I began embracing myself in anything music I could get my hands on. From the classic sounds of Floyd, to the soulful sounds of Mr. Brown, to old Jazz, even rap and hip hop. In that time I also found a knack for the guitar and bass. Since then I have played with a few groups, toured, been signed to Atlantic Records, and have had the honor of working with Grammy award winning producers Joe Chiccarelli and Brian Malouf.

I started producing records in college as a way of escaping a typical nine to five job. Everyone else in my band was working at coffee shops and offices, which they all hated. After a while of this I realized that I loved the production aspect of music than the actual playing and performing. So I left my group at the time, Great Glass Elevator, and started producing records full time. I am one of the few people that can actually say they loved their job.

Someone asked me the other day what I think it takes to make a great record. It always started with the artist. You can only polish a turd so much, and in the end it still smells pretty bad. It’s so important that the artist has a strong vision and a statement, every great artist has one. The Beatles said, “All you need is love.” Nirvana said, “I don’t care.” The one question I always ask my artists is, “what do you have to say to the world?” This will determine every decision that is made after. Next, a great producer is needed to fully realize the artist’s vision. For some artists the vision is very clear and other very dim. A great producer will always be able to find it. Lastly, a good mix and master job is needed. You can spend two years tracking the perfect album and if the mix isn’t right the whole thing is worthless. This is why a lot of producers will do their own mixing.

I don’t have an easy job. I sure don’t have a typical nine to five job. But, I am one of the few people who can honestly say love every second of my job.

Stay tuned. Next week I’ll be talking about a few helpful tricks I’ve learned over the years.

-Barrett

www.artisanslabel.com

studio.artisanslabel.com

The New Music Movement

[Note: Every Sunday we'll be featuring a guest author. This week it's the one & only Smash. Enjoy! - Michael]

From artist to artist, fan to fan, mono y mono, we all know that the spark of today’s music industry is fading quickly. I wish for a venue like the Whiskey a-Go-Go in the late 60’s where they housed The Doors, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash. So much talent and energy in one spot that it couldn’t be bottled or packaged into a neat little LP. Where are those venues with talent bubbling over? Where is that music movement that you know is special to be a part of? I can equate this yearning to Hunter S. Thompson’s description of the hippie movement in San Francisco: “San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run . . . but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant. . . . There was madness in any direction, at any hour. If not across the Bay, then up the Golden Gate or down 101 to Los Altos or La Honda. . . . You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . .” What a great time to be a part of. We as fans need something palpable to grab onto and enjoy the musical ride.

However, I can look back at history and smile, because I’ve found that spark again. At this point, the music industry is changing at a rate that is hard to keep up with. Free internet radio is here, record labels are squirming in their plush seats, and experts predict cd’s will become extinct by 2012. It’s time to jump on the new music template; here at ArtiSan’s Label the focus is on the artist and their music. Artisans bypassed the convolution of traditional record labels and is bringing it back to the customer, where it should be. The spark is at Artisan’s and I’m happy to be a part of this counterrevolution at this juncture in time. Exciting things are happening here, amazing artists are recording at our studio, and the excitement is thick in the air.

I am an Artist Advocate for ArtiSans Label. I basically go out and spread the good word through their RADAR program. RADAR stands for Rewarding Artists Discovery And Referral. And if an artist signs with ArtiSans, then my efforts are financially appreciated. The great thing about this program is anybody can do it! Everybody knows an aspiring artist, and ArtiSans can help them achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Consider the possibilities! Check out the RADAR program on the ArtiSans website and become an Artist Advocate. Be a part of the new music movement.

On that note, I will bring the focus back to the music with another Hunter S. Thompson quote that we all can relate to.

"Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio."
— Hunter S. Thompson

Mixing Patience: A Time and Money Saver

What's up kids? I'll be your Saturday blog host for this and every Saturday after for God knows how long. I know what you're all thinking, "a blog on Saturday?" I might as well be in the Fox Friday night T.V. lineup. But I digress...

Howdy! My name is Kyle Griffin. I'm the House Engineer here at ArtiSans Label Studios on Fender Avenue. What I bring to the table is my passion, professionalism, and killer set of ears that I have individually insured (just like America Ferrera’s teeth…those are some serious chompers). I'm absolutely in love with every aspect of music-making and get a high from being a part of every step. As far as the education goes, I have a B.A. in Recording Arts and am a Digidesign certified Pro Tools Operator.

Okay, so none of that matters. I know you're all here to read the random meanderings of my infinite wisdom...or at least the crap that I think I know :)

So today I'm going to go on a quick rant about having mixing patience. When it comes time to have your album mixed, I promise it will not save time, money or your sanity to be there during the initial mix process. What it comes down to, and what needs to be understood, is it's going to sound like crap before it's going to sound good...that's just the way it works. So when the singer is asking to have more reverb on his voice when the engineer is trying to balance the snare and kick drum, it's not helping the efficiency of the process. It is, however, costing you (the artist) more money. Every time the engineer has to stop and explain it to the singer, then the guitar player, then the keys player, et cetera, et cetera (the bass player’s opinion doesn’t matter…take that JC!), it’s going to cost you cash.

My suggestion: Don’t be there for the initial mixing. Some studios and/or mixing engineers already have this as a policy. Instead, let the mixing engineer do the initial mix then come in for a review session where you go over specific changes. What everyone needs to remember is that the initial, or "base mix", isn't the final product - there’s nothing you can do or say during the initial mixing that can’t wait for a review session (i.e. featuring certain guitar parts, tighten up the bass, or bring up the floor tom).

Also, have a “post-production” session with your mix engineer before he gets to work where you go over all the specific things you want done. Also in this session, you want to give the engineer a list of albums that you love the production on so they can use them as reference.

Now I know this is going to be a major problem for some of you, so here are my suggestions: Find a mixer that you believe in. If you know you like their final product, then believe in their process. Or, find a mixer that doesn’t mind you being there.

Until next time!

Kyle

www.artisanslabel.com

studio.artisanslabel.com