QUOTE OF THE DAY!

“You have to believe in yourself, that's the secret. Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world. I had to feel the exuberance that comes from utter confidence in yourself. Without it, you go down to defeat.”
 
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.........

“A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.”
 
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)

BASIC THINGS TO CHECK BEFORE SIGNING A MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

Before you sign a contract with a prospective manager, make sure you are aware of music manager contract basics so you can be sure you are making the right decision. You must also realize that this information is general in nature. Your individual or personal deal or arrangement might be different.

§         KEEP IT SIMPLE: It doesn’t have to be a long legal sounding document filled with big grammar. As long as it covers the basic issue of MONEY, JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE MANAGER & LENGTH OF THE CONTRACT.

§          IT SHOULD BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL:  whatever contract you sign must have your best interest at heart and benefit the manager as well.  It doesn’t matter how well connected or influential the manager is, don’t be quick to sign your life away.

§          LENGTH OF AGREEMENT: you need to decide on how long the contract will last. A fair contract term is a one year agreement, with an option to extend the agreement at the end of the year if both parties agree. If things are going well, you can look at negotiating longer agreements, but a one year contract term is a good place to start.  Be careful not to give the manager options to extend your contract without your consent; otherwise, you will end op latched to a manager you don’t want.

§         JOB DESCRIPTIONS: Your contract should state in clear terms what you expect your manager to do for you. As an upcoming artiste, your manager should be marketing you to labels, pushing your music to get airplays, interviews and press reviews, trying to get you shows, and generally trying to get things off the ground for you. You need to be as clear as possible about what you expect from a manager, and they will also be clear on what they are willing to do. Bottom line is, everything should be in black and white.

§          MONEY: It’s very rare and almost impossible for Managers in the Nigerian music industry to promote you out of their own pockets, so you’re gonna have to come to a mutually beneficial agreement on covering of expenses. You don't have to pay your manager's phone bills, but you do have to pay for business trips your manager makes on your behalf and reasonable costs like taking a label representative out for drinks, PR for on-air personalities, and media people in general.  You need to also put a clause in the contract that says certain level or amount above a particular level must be cleared with you first since you will be footing the bills.

LAST WORD: There is no hard and fast rule to this as individual circumstances are different. However, whatever your situation is, make sure everything is stated in clear terms and ALWAYS SEEK LEGAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING!

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

Desire! That's the one secret of every man's career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire.
       Copyright------Bobby Unser

MASTER YOUR ART

In the music business as well as in life, change is a very constant thing. And to keep up and remain relevant, you must do all you can to keep yourself abreast of every new innovation as well as train yourself in all aspects of the business.

As an artiste, your fans love to hear innovative, fresh new sounds. So whatever you do, develop an appetite for perfection, A need to be not just good enough but GREAT.

You need to practice, practice and keep practicing! Whatever developing stage you are at, go beyond it, re-commit yourself to your instrument or voice. Take more lessons if you must, but make sure you do all you can to stay on top of your game.

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.
Conrad Hilton

FEELING DISCOURAGED??? READ THIS!

I found this poem somewhere and it really helped me. So i posted it here, believing someone might need it. As upcoming acts trying to break into the industry in Nigeria, I know the road is most probably tougher than usual and more often than not, most new comers just throw in the towel and quit when the pressure becomes overwhelming.  If you’re in that position right now, chill and read this ok? Trust me, you will feel better!

DON'T QUIT
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

© Edgar A. Guest

WORKING ON YOUR STAGE PERFORMANCE

Almost every time I go for a show and see Nigerian artistes on stage, especially upcoming acts,  I leave the venue extremely disappointed and empty.  Most times, I develop a head ache before the performances are over. Not because the music wasn't good, but majorly because the performances were horrible.

Make no mistake about it, the key to your success as an artiste, is how good you are on stage. When fans pay to come see your show, make sure they leave satisfied. As far as you’re not born with it, you’re gonna have to work on it.

One of my lecturers in the university was in the habit of saying ‘’you cannot NOT communicate’’. In other words, everything you do while on stage is a form of communication. Even before you open your mouth to sing a line, your body language is already communicating.

Communication is an important key to keeping your audience involved and interested. Talk to them, Give them tidbits on why the song was written. Fans love the personal notes and it helps them feel close to the artistes. Maintain eye contact. Touch people's hands. If you're a male artist who attracts majorly female fans and you see a guy in the audience, show your appreciation by shaking his hand or giving him a high five.

Acknowledge the crowd and show passion and feeling.  If you cannot dance, get back up dancers. Make sure every move is rehearsed and if you are performing with a live band, do proper sound check before coming on stage.

Work on it. Perfect it. If this is how you plan to make your living, then you must work at your craft.

In the second part of this article, I will be giving you tips on what to do and what not to do on stage!

To be continued……………………………

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

''Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.''

Copyright-----Brian Tracy

5 ESSENTIAL QUALITIES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A MANAGER

Your manager is your representation to the outside world. He will negotiate your contracts and speak for you in business meetings. So you definitely don’t want a wishy-washy person that you cant trust. Here are five very important qualities to watch out for.

1.       TENACITY AND RELIABILITY. You need a manager who knows how to follow through and is prepared to stick with you.  It usually takes a while before an artiste becomes “a superstar." You need someone you can rely on to have your back when things are not going as planned. Someone you can trust with your welfare and your money. You need someone who won't quit on you just because you’re not making millions in a year! Someone who knows that you may hear a few "no's" before you things start getting rosy. Don't be afraid to ask any prospective management company to prove they have these qualities by giving references or interviewing them yourself! Don’t be intimidated, so arm yourself with information before you attend any meeting with a prospective manager.

2.       RELEVANT EXPERIENCE. What success has the manager had managing others? At the end of the day, the music business is a business, and your artist manager needs to be able to deal with people and sell your product. You have to be very careful about working with one who has limited experience in the music industry. Your manager should have experience as an entrepreneur within the music and entertainment industry.

3.       CONNECTIONS:  you need a manger that is connected with the relevant people in the industry. A good manager should have a good relationship with label reps, producers, DJs, broadcasters, promoters, etc…

4.       A PEOPLE PERSON:  You need a manager who is good with people, someone who naturally commands respect and can get people to listen to what he/she is saying. You need a manager who has integrity, whose words can be trusted. You want a manager who can tell you when things are good and tell you when things are bad, while keeping your professional interests in perspective. Your manager stands right off the center of your music. They should help push you and your goals in the right direction at all times.

5.       BUSINESS ORIENTATION:  your manager should be someone who will treat your music career as a business. Watch out for his attitude towards your music. Everything must be handled with precision and seriousness. You definitely don’t want someone who handles your business casually.

LAST WORD:  Don’t be too quick to jump at any management offer from anyone. Take the time to look into management contract before you sign on. Your success as an artiste depends on building a team of qualified, hard-working and trusted people around you.