BMI Music World

I was thumbing through the Summer 2006 edition of BMI MusicWorld magazine and a few factoids jumped out of the articles on the artists/bands showcased.

Shinedown:
Pounded out over 200 concerts a year.
Spent a solid 23 months of touring behind debut album Leave a Whisper.

Ne-Yo (probably my favorite R&B artist right now):
Real name: Shaffer C. Smith
Ne-Yo's CD In My Own Words is platinum.

Carrie Underwood:
Prior to American Idol, Carrie "had...never been on national television."
Underwood's first CD Some Hearts is now triple platinum.

Daniel Powter:
"Bad Day" first became a hit in Europe, where it was the number one most played song of 2005 for this thirty-five year old Canadian songwriter and musician.

James Blunt:
Lest one start throwing about the term "overnight sensation," Blunt says, "Well, I'm twenty-eight now and I've been planning this since I was fourteen..."

Teddy Geiger:
Started writing songs at age eight. Geiger wrote or co-wrote eleven of the twelve songs on his major label debut CD Underage Thinking. Now seventeen, Geiger is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, bass, and drums.

Take note how everyone's journey has a different origin. Change of name, geography, TV, touring, teens, twenties, thirties, etc. There is no "one size fits all" formula for success.

Thank you BMI for your informative publication and profiles.

Platinum Projections

Generating platinum sales these days (one million units) has become increasingly difficult but is still achievable. Generally it takes a combination of factors, including radio airplay, internet exposure, live performance, critical press, a great video, and inclusion in a film, tv show, or advertising campaign.

The following are a few current releases that I project will achieve Platinum status and, therefore, should be listened to for their content:

Justin Timberlake "FutureSex/Love Sounds"
Beyonce' "B'Day"
Hinder "Extreme Behavior"
Christina Aguilera "Back To Basics"
Fray "How To Save A Life"
Gnarls Barkley "St. Elsewhere"
Rihanna "Girl Like Me"
Nelly Furtado "Loose"
KT Tunstall "Eye To The Telescope"
Yung Joc "New Joc City"

Although it is more difficult to read the fine print on CD jackets, there are a wealth of credits worth noting: A&R, guest vocalists, legal, management, mastering, musicians, photography, producers, publishers, record label, songwriters, web sites, and more.

Don't copy the same formula as your competition, but use the knowledge you gain from studying them. Set out on your own unique path to Platinum.

The Soul of a Superstar

On my return flight from the Radio and Records/National Association of Broadcasters convention in Dallas, I was reading the cover story in the Friday, September 22nd edition of USA Today titled Soul of a Champion. Over the next ten weeks, USA Today will examine the intangibles that separate champions from other elite athletes with essentially the same physical skills. The series will go inside the lives of competitors who exemplify four intangible traits sports psychologists say champions possess: competitiveness, self-confidence, focus, and composure under pressure.

This led me to think about the parallels between athletes and entertainers. One of the most challenging aspects of my consultancy is determining what "IT" is that separates superstars from "close but no cigar stars." If there was a simple answer, I would market it on one of those late night infomercials and be counting my coins on a beach in Maui.

Some of the common denominators suggested in the article were:

What's inside of you. How much are you willing to do? How much are you willing to sacrifice? (Are you willing to be on the road, away from family and friends for extended periods of time?)

Mental toughness. Can you keep your head on straight and stay sober?
(Can you avoid the excesses of drugs and alcohol?)

Courage to go for it and not think about failure.
(Are you a smart risk taker?)

Testing your skills against others.
(Do you thrive on Battles of the Bands and other competitions that challenge your musical and songwriting skills?)

Belief in your ability and total confidence.
(Can you envision yourself making an acceptance speech at the Grammys?)

Keeping your cool under pressure.
(Will you be able to refrain from swearing at the sound man when the system isn't performing to your standards? Will you stop short of asking the audience when they last had their hearing checked when their response is tepid?)

The ability to deal with mistakes.
(Will you live up to that age-old adage "the show must go on" even when you're off key, miss a note, or break a guitar string?)

Focus.
(Can you key in your audience, putting on a "big show" in a small venue and creating an intimate environment in an arena, making every fan feel like you are performing just for him/her?)

To achieve platinum status, it takes great talent and hard work. You must continuosly raise the bar; find ways to get better. Always work at improving your technical skills while maintaining a superior physical, psychological, and professional profile.

If you truly believe you possess The Soul of a Superstar, then you will not be denied.