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music by Ronan Reinart So, Ya W a n n a Be a Rock Star? can be d i s c o u r a g i n g at first, but hang in t h e r e . D o n B r e g g , a p a r t n e r o f Pacific N o r t h S t u d i o s , m a s t e r i n g engineer, and a 2 0 - y e a r v e t e r a n p e r f o r m e r and independent producer, r e m i n d s us that " t h e m o r e y o u h e a r y o u r s e l f , the b e t t e r y o u get. Y o u have t o m a k e it t h r o u g h s o m e bad sessions t o get t o t h e g o o d o n e s . " T h e p o i n t is t h a t y o u s h o u l d n ' t be t o o i n t i m i d a t e d t o k e e p at it. Let's talk f o r a m i n u t e a b o u t m a n a g e r s . Y o u r manager is y o u r liaison t o the business a n d will help in all the important decisions concerning your c a r e e r : w h a t material is strongest, w h a t gigs a r e t h e m o s t important, M . W i l l i a m K r a s i l o v s k y and Sydney S h e m e l (the " b i b l e " o f the industry). A little dry. but w e l l w o r t h the r e a d ! A n d w h a t a b o u t submissions? Sending material t o managers, A r t i s t & R e p e r t o i r e e x e c u t i v e s , lawyers, bar o w n e r s , and p r o m o t e r s is n o t a fun p r o c e s s : there's a l o t o f waiting and nail-chewing involved. B u t it's inescapable, and t h e r e is a m e t h o d t o the s u b m i s s i o n g a m e . B e f o r e sending any material t o p e o p l e , call a n d find o u t if they're l o o k i n g f o r artists like y o u . Find o u t w h a t genres they specialize in and after sending the tape wait at least t w o w e e k s b e f o r e calling back. D o not p h o n e the n e x t day (a c o m m o n m i s t a k e . B o b says, that just makes y o u l o o k silly). W h e n y o u call, ask if t h e package has been r e c e i v e d , and find o u t w h e n a g o o d time t o f o l l o w up again w o u l d be. A s k if they like being c o n t a c t e d via e-mail, telep h o n e , o r any o t h e r m e t h o d , a n d F O L L O W w h a t they say t o the letter. E v e r y o n e has different p r e f e r e n c e s ; the last thing y o u w a n t t o be is irritating. D a v i d Jewer. also at Pacific N o r t h Studios ( p r o d u c t i o n a n d graphic design) offers a final t h o u g h t o n the Umeeda with Cockburn Photo by Phillip Chin Switto I t w a s w i t h s o m e c o n c e r n that I agreed t o w r i t e an a r t i c l e dealing w i t h as b r o a d an issue as jump-starting a musical career. It's a huge issue, w o r t h y o f v o l u m e s , and o n e that's n o t easily s i m p l i f i e d . T h a t said, t h e r e are e c o n o m i c a n d social benefits t o a healthy musical c u l t u r e that g o far b e y o n d images o f binge-happy lifestyles a n d r e d - e y e d r o c k stars wallpapering bathrooms with 50-dollar bills. P u r s u i n g the musical life a l l o w s o u r y o u t h t o get away f r o m t h e i r televisions and c o n t r i b u t e s o m e t h i n g t o the w o r l d a r o u n d t h e m . B u t w h a t d o e s it m e a n , t o p u r sue t h e musical life? A n d h o w d o y o u begin? F o r m e r k e y b o a r d player w i t h the band R h y m e s w i t h O r a n g e , B o b D ' E i t h is n o w a N o r t h V a n c o u v e r .£ oo ^ 3 based e n t e r t a i n m e n t lawyer, what producers you should use. Everything. " G o o d m a n a g e m e n t is essential, but the c u r r e n t t r u t h , " says B o b D ' E i t h , " i s that m o s t artists have t o manage t h e m s e l v e s in the beginning." So finding m a n a g e m e n t also means e d u c a t e yourself. T h a t e d u c a t i o n w i l l act as y o u r manager until y o u find s o m e o n e w h o is b e t t e r e q u i p p e d f o r t h e job a n d w h o believes in y o u r talent. R e a d e v e r y thing y o u can g e t y o u r hands o n relating t o the m u s i c business. C h e c k o u t This Business of Music, by c o m p o s e r f o r film and t e l e v i s i o n , p r o ducer, and a V i r g i n R e c o r d s r e c o r d i n g a r t i s t (as a p r i n c i p a l m e m b e r o f t h e a c c l a i m e d a m b i e n t band M y t h o s ) . Bob's first p i e c e o f advice t o y o u n g artists is t o " w r i t e , w r i t e , w r i t e . . . . " T h e r e is a tendency, he p o i n t s o u t , t o b e c o m e c o m p l a c e n t after you've w r i t t e n a c o u p l e o f n u m b e r s . " Y o u fall in love w i t h w h a t y o u ' v e d o n e a n d d o n ' t g o f o r w a r d . " B e careful t o avoid t h a t T h e more you write, the better t h e songs get, a n d the g r e a t e r y o u r chances of producing g e m s -- a g e m o r t w o can start a c a r e e r ! A n o t h e r h u r d l e is r e c o r d i n g . T h e r e are a n u m b e r of g o o d r e c o r d ing s t u d i o s in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r : C r o s s t o w n , Baker Street, and Studio 5 5 a r e t h r e e o f the m o s t r e f e r e n c e d (all t h e i r c o n t a c t n u m b e r s a r e listed at t h e e n d ) . B u t be c a r e f u l . H o k e N i s s e n , the manager and in-house producer/engineer of Studio 55, caut i o n s y o u n g bands t o k e e p realistic expectations when recording for the f i r s t t i m e . " T h e s t u d i o puts y o u u n d e r t h e k i n d o f m i c r o s c o p e , " he says, " t h a t d o e s n ' t o c c u r in live p e r f o r m a n c e . M a n y bands split up after t h e i r first s e s s i o n . . . . " H e a r i n g all y o u r m i s t a k e s w i t h c r y s t a l clarity Bruce IG** ..« 7