Music musings

Was talking to my intern yesterday, who also happens to be interning at a major label in NYC and it was fascinating and thought provoking to hear the general workings happening in publishing.

Of course just as fascinating is that three days per week she's in a massive corporate environment with assistants, assistants assistants, and more lines of communication than I can possibly imagine. Then one day per week we hang out in my comfortable, midsize room and talk about the latest on projects, the last good street musician we've run into, or just the general state of indie bands.

What got me thinking yesterday was the nature of songwriting and performing at a big label, versus the same for indie labels, or just up and coming bands. I can't imagine that many people even realize the many layers and methods which can happen here. But to put it in perspective, the labels get hundreds of songwriting submissions, they go through them, throw most away, and the BEST ones are presented to artists who can either choose to record them or not.

This is not a new idea or method, but it's amazing to think of the long road from a young songwriter in middle-America writing his/her hearts out, sending to all the labels and just HOPING that Big Artist A will go "Hmm, that could be decent".

It's hard for me to wrap my head on it, and I absolutely can't make a judgement on this method because of course I have hope for these young songwriters, and I understand that just like an up and coming novelist, hopeful screenwriter, or auditioning actor this is how careers can be started. I only point it out as something that is a fascinating phenomenon, and how there is and always will be the polar opposite which is the artist who writes their own songs. Bands to still get into a studio and just crank out ideas and fine-tune until it either ends up a memory, or a single.

Just one small example that I love because it's a personal story of a friend and composer, is the song "We Belong", made famous by Pat Benatar. This song was written by the writing partners of said composer and sent to the label. The label exec really didn't like it. The tape was to be put in the "Sorry" pile but was mistakenly sent to Pat. Pat loved it and told the label exec so. Label exec answered "I loved it too!!". Promptly verbally beat up on the person who sent it. Pat records it. It reaches number 5 on the US charts and earns her a Grammy.

I think the general public has a sense of the process, but really it's something to think about each time you hear a new song, and wonder where in fact the muse for that song originated.