The Evolution of the Single

_______________________________________________________________________________


"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."

                                                               ~Edmund Burke

_______________________________________________________________________________

In the late 19th century the gramophone disc took over phonograph cylinders as the standard in recording technology.  By 1910 the 78, 10-inch shellac record became industry standard.  Technical limitations of the disc forced recording artists to tailor their work to the medium thus creating shorter songs and only releasing one or two "singles" at a time. It wasn't until the 1960's that this format changed.

In the 1940's the FCC understood that radio broadcasters would eventually run out of spots in the then used AM bandwidth.  To counteract that they forced large scale AM stations to maintain an FM channel as well.  For years these broadcasters did nothing more than duplicate the programming on both channels then In July of 1965 the FCC made another ruling that broadcasters could not duplicate programming on both FM and AM dials in major US markets.  This sent programmers searching for a cheap way to fill dead air on their FM stations. 

Luckily for these programmers a new standard record size was emerging. A 12" disc allowed artists and labels to press more than one track into the vinyl. DJ's and radio programmers realized they could fill up hours of time on their FM stations by playing these "albums" in their entirety and the idea of Album Oriented Rock was born.

Album Oriented Rock and the new FM channel changed the way in which the business of music was done. All of the sudden new recording artists had to create and entire collection of like minded songs to include on one record.  The record deal changed too to cater to this new distribution method with new artists finding themselves signing contracts tying them to three or more albums with the label. 

Now the single didn't die completely.  It was only changed from the main source of revenue into a marketing tool to get people to purchase the entire album for a heftier price tag.  Throughout the 80's this method made the record labels millions upon millions of dollars.

Then the Internet was born and consumers quickly found a way to share their music over phone lines through companies such as Napster. The problem with the new Internet delivery method was that bandwidth was low during the early days of the medium which meant that music files needed to be compressed and sent as singles to other users. 

For years the industry fought this new delivery method as fans became pirates giving away and taking music without retribution to the artists, but that's another story. To combat this problem the industry began endorsing online music storefronts such as Apple's iTunes to distribute their medium, but by the time they finally found a way to make money in the new online world the market had changed.

Underneath all of the piracy fans had developed a new taste in the acquisition of their music. They didn't want the entire album because it took up so much of their personal time to find and then download. Instead they started downloading single tracks that appealed to them from various artists. By the time Apple took over with the iPod and iTunes the market had changed. A new generation of music consumers emerged that didn't want to pay $20 for an entire album for just one track as they had done in the past. They wanted their music instantly which meant that single files were the way to go, and through their test phases with piracy and peer-to-peer sharing they wanted to create their own musical experience through customizable playlists. The market had spoken. They wanted singles again.

Once again the music industry has changed, and once again we witness the cold hard fact that history is doomed to repeat itself.  Luckily for us this time the repetition is producing larger sales numbers then we could have imagined. Unluckily those numbers are for much smaller unit prices.

Keep this in mind.  If history is due to repeat itself then that means the album should come back around. Over recent years ISP's have increased the average level of bandwidth for the end user and they have opened up new channels of distribution through smart phones, and wireless Internet delivery systems such as 3G and 4G. When it comes to price points the labels have decided to challenge Apple's huge capitalization of the market by offering cheaper prices to other retailers such as Amazon who are offering entire albums for as low as $1.99. These small facts make it possible for the fans to afford full albums once again and download them quickly thus fulfilling their needs. 

The biggest issue the labels and artists face in eventually recapitalizing on the sale of entire albums is the quality of the material they offer to the public. For the past decade the industry has shifted back to the pre-1965 single distribution method and with that they have focused on creating only one or two strong hits at a time. To truly recapitalize on the return of the full length album market the industry will have to once again fully develop and nurture artists to their fullest rounded potential so they can once again create entire albums that appeal to their fans.

For now the single once again reigns supreme. This time it isn't on a ten inch shellac disc. It's in a five by three inch phone.

The Streaming Industrial Radio Revolution

To many historians the terms Industrial Revolution is a misnomer.  Primarily because it actually took many years for our society to evolve from an agrarian based product system to a manufacturing based delivery method.  Due to that name including the term "revolution" we tend to overlook the fact that society spent many years in the middle of an unknown changing marketplace.  Families, employees, and employers did not know that eventually the introduction of steam power, railways, and the combustion engine would fuel a more advanced and wealthier society.

The same holds true in what we are facing in today's music marketplace.  The advent of the Internet has drastically altered the music delivery system and this small ripple has created a wave of change in the business the size of a tsunami.   One of the core components to the past music business marketing plan has been crushed by this wave of change.  That component is called radio.

But I am here to tell you that radio isn't dying or dead. It is only changing and with that change has adopted a new name called "streaming."

  

There seems to be a lot of arguments about the viability of Internet based streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, and MOG.  Industry insiders claim that these services provide little, if any, revenue for artists, labels and songwriters. They have waged war on these services claiming that they steal download sales from artists and labels.  A few artists and publishers have even pulled, or threatened to pull, their content from some of these services. Most recently Sir Paul McCartney pulled his content to reportedly force consumers to download his music from online retailers such as iTunes and Amazon where he earns a larger amount in royalties. See the article here.

While this may be a great idea for an established musical icon such as Paul McCartney it isn't a wise decision for newer artists.  These services act as a new revolutionized radio model, but unlike traditional radio artists do not need to sell the gatekeepers on the idea of including their songs on the play lists.  Any artist can upload their newest tune or album to any streaming service without having to shell out huge dough in promotion fees to wine and dine programmers to be let in.

What these services offer new artists is the opportunity to engage potential fans with their music for free.  Any fan can sign-up for a free subscription to basically any streaming company and with that subscription they can seek out an artist or album they are interested in and have a no obligation listen to the music.  There is a division in the industry as to if free services produce more download sales. Billboard reports that they do not.  See the article here.  Streaming service Last.fm reports otherwise. See their article here. Regardless of what industry insiders report these streaming services do offer something to new artists when it comes to revenue.

I myself am an active music downloader whom normally uses iTunes, but over the past few years I have become discouraged having to shell of $1.29 for a new tune or $9.99 for a new album just to find out that I didn't like the song or tracks 4, 6, 9, and 10.  It has cost me hundreds in what I consider wasted downloads.  Then last year I decided to try a streaming service on my iPhone.  I downloaded the MOG app and subscribed for their monthly $10 subscription that lets me download tunes to my device for as long as I keep paying my subscription. Since then I have explored many new artists and dozens of new albums.  Thanks to the service I realized how much I liked Adele's 21 and was happy to buy the entire album from iTunes for $10.99. More importantly I was open up to newer artists such as Trivium, Lana Del Ray, and Nada Surf among many others whom I would have avoided dropping $1.29 a track to find out if I liked them or not.  I am one streaming user whom has checked out over 150 new artists thanks to my MOG account. If their music is good and appeals to me chances are I will buy their downloads, go to their shows, and purchase some of their merchandise.  I would have never been opened up to these unknown names without my streaming account. Through the new industrialized radio I have received added benefits and the artists have received added benefits.  Isn't that a core tenement in business? Think about my Adele experience.  She got a streaming royalty from me listening to her album on MOG and a mechanical royalty when I downloaded the album. Before my MOG account she may have just got a royalty on one or two tunes, but thanks to the new radio I was able to experience her entire works without obligation and encouraged to buy her entire album. Your welcome Adele and Columbia Records.

I think it is imperative that those in the industry embrace streaming services. Even if they do not recognize them as the new radio.  They help curb piracy, open up potential fans to new artists, and add more pennies into the artists royalty accounts. To succeed this industry must not challenge Eli's cotton gin, but rather embrace its potential to change the world.

Go Get Igoe's Groove Essentials

This week I had to prep for an audition.  The prerequisites called for a versatile drummer whom could play various styles of music.  Now I had just gotten off the road and didn’t have the comforts of home, a place to practice, or access to my library of drumming books.  I needed to figure something out so I got to work.  I found a friend with a spot to practice so I could get some wood shedding in, but I still needed something to motivate me to practice. 

Now when I am at home in the comforts of my own studio with access to my own library of materials I often find myself working with a great multi-style play along series by legendary drummer Tommy Igoe called Groove Essentials.  I have purchased series 1.0 on DVD and followed up with series 2.0’s play along set and have been quite impressed by this master drummer’s methodology so I made my way to a local music store to find Groove Essentials 1.0 play along series and was amazed that the drum department employee had no idea about this book or this amazing drummer.

For all of you who don’t know Tommy Igoe was a child drumming phenom who toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra at the age of 18.  From there he landed in New York were his career really took off becoming an in demand session drummer and hitting the road with a roster of legendary artists from Blood Sweat and Tears to Stanley Jordan and Art Garfunkel.

In 1997 Igoe was asked to create the drum book for the Broadway musical version of Disney’s The Lion King.  His charts converted world and African Rhythms into a pop style for the drum set and have become the standard workbook for a slue of drummer who play the show in New York and around the world.  Soon after that success Igoe teamed up with Vic Firth to create a study manual that opens up drummers to the various styles of world music and to adapt those styles to the drum set.  Together they created Groove Essentials 1.0 that teaches drummers how to play a number of core rhythms on the drum set from rock to funk, to jazz, salsa, calypso, reggae, samba, bossa nova, and so much more.  According to Igoe’s website “This groundbreaking work has been credited with influencing more teachers and educators than any educational publication of the last 50 years.”  The book has won numerous awards in publications such as Modern Drummer Magazine and has become a staple in drum set instruction practices and universities across the U.S.  The book was so successful that a follow was introduced quickly after entitled Groove Essentials 2.0 and itself became it’s own drum set education success.

The included poster that outlines 47 various styles of music.

The packages include a great poster, DVD, play along CD and workbook full of charts.

What is unique about Igoe series is the various packages the lessons come in.  There is a DVD that includes a beautiful poster with the transcribed rhythm notations of the various styles.  On the DVD students can watch as Igoe picks apart each style and demonstrates each rhythm at varying tempos.  The more courageous can purchase the DVD and Play along package that includes written charts for each style minus the drums so the student can attempt to play along to a number of different songs in each style.  

All together this set includes six hours of play along material, and printed charts that represent what a drummer should expect in the real world, minus the bad notations by previous drummers that haven’t been erased.  The charts help you understand how to read music while you work through the demanding selection of rhythms with the play along real band.

Groove Essentials 2.0 goes deeper into various drumming styles and offers the same packages for the student.

Groove Essentials 2.0 is offered in the same packages, but goes deeper into the drum set style dictionary with 53 brand new grooves including jazz brush work, interesting rock and funk styles, less known world rhythms, a section on odd meters such as 5/4, 7/8, and 9/8, and it’s own selection of “World Tour” charts (Groove 1.0 has these also) that are a commanding workout in which the drummer must play to music that changes through various styles. 

For the advanced drummer the “World Tours” found in both the 1.0 and 2.0 version is a unique challenge.  The pieces range from 15 to twenty plus minutes and require the drummer to read and interpret the accompanying charts as the student plays along to a killer band without the drums.  During the music the drummer must change tempos and styles while leading the band on fills, accents, and changing genres of music.  They test your ability to stay focused, move from one style to another, read and interpret charts, and keep great time throughout the process.   

I strongly suggest that any serious drummer look into adding both of these systems to your learning library.  They are available at any brick and mortar or online music store as well as directly through Tommy’s site at http://www.tommyigoe.com/store.htm.  They have helped me elevate my playing and my understanding of the world of music and I am sure they can do the same for you.

Your most important musical product.

Ok, so now that I am a few months away from graduating with my Bachelor's Degree in Music Business Management it seems that so many of my friends, and even people I didn't know, are after for me on advice to launch their musical careers.  In listening to them I am overwhelmed at how many of these green musicians are still under the impression that a huge musical industry professional will show up to their next show, wave their magical record deal wand and turn them into the next Adele or Lady Gaga overnight.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys, but this just isn't going to happen.  So pack up your delusions of grandeur and think about what you really want from your music.  If you want to be the next international jet setting superstar that's cool, but it may also be impossible.

So how do you know if you have what it takes to get the bowl of M&M's minus all the brown ones at your next show at Madison Square Garden?  Well the answer is quite simple.  It all starts with your music.

I am often overwhelmed at how little importance young artists put into their music.  I have heard everything from "we have an amazing show, the lead singer eats a baby kangaroo on stage" or "the label will give us this big name producer who will make our music into the next big radio, or better yet Spotify, hit.  Where is my red buzzer, or better yet my hoop to pull these idiots off of their pedestals so I can scream Trump's catch phrase "your fired".  Honestly if you think that your music comes second in your career I hope you enjoy salting fries at McDonalds.

Remember this the music business is just that a business and the central point to any business is a competitive product and/or service.  I mean Henry Ford didn't start selling his automobiles to the public in hopes that someone would come along and build them for him after he made a number of sales.  No he had the cars first and then marketed his product to the marketplace.  The music industry is no different.

First and foremost your music is going to define who you are in this huge market.  According to www.quora.com there are upwards of 15-20 million bands on the Internet. And when it comes to live shows Martin Atkins in his book "Tour Smart" reports that there is close to 2940 bands performing each week in L.A., and 1235 in New York, and that's only two markets.  The U.S. is a HUGE country, and we are just a small part of the music world on this planet.  Do you still think that the head of A&R for Atlantic Records is going to show-up at your show in bum fuck New Hampshire and sign you to a multi-million dollar deal.  If you still think yes stand there for a moment while I grab my hook.

The first thing I tell young bands is "take it slow".  Your music is so vital to your success so you should be willing to woodshed the group for weeks and really craft your songs.  Then pick five or six gems and practice them some more.  When you can play through those tunes perfectly your next step is to find a decent studio, and by decent I don't mean your buddy with his Radio Shack recording set-up.  In today's market there are dozens of people with quality home studios who can record your demo.  Make sure they know what they are doing, after all this is your business "product" and it needs to sound as good as it possibly can.  Why?  Because we are going to use that as center point to your marketing, touring, and promotion strategy.  And for Christ's sake after your done recording get that CD professionally mastered. Spend the money and you will be very glad you did.  Unmastered CD's, even those mastered by some dude with a Dell laptop and some free program, get tossed in the garbage by more radio stations, promoters, and label executives than I care to research right now.

So now you heeded my advice and you have a killer demo of your tunes.  Here is how that one little product can change your career.

Your "quality" demo can be uploaded to a digital ramp service provider like ReverbNation or TuneCore to get your tunes in the digital music stores such as iTunes, Rhapsody, and Amazon along with the multitude of streaming services out there.  Or it can be used to press CD's to sell at your shows, to your friends, or your parents.  I hope your parents are buying your music, or at least taking the cost off of the food and rent you currently owe them among other things. Now you have created a product that can sell and earn you some cash, but there is more to it than that.

Your demo will be used to get clubs and promoters to book you at shows.  Who do you think they are going to hire the group that calls them and says: "Hey dude we are the next Metallica. We don't have a CD for your to hear, but trust us we are awesome the drummer has the most expensive kit you can get" or the band who is able to direct them to their music on iTunes, or even send the owner a copy of the CD?  There you go that "quality" demo can help you land shows.

Ok, so now a few club owners bit and you have some gigs.  With your music available you can use it to promote that show with journalists, radio dudes, and possible fans.  The more people you get in that door the better and the best way to get them there is to showcase how great your music is.

Once the show starts you now have a room of fifty people exited to hear you.  With music available you can sell them CD's or hand out free stickers that push them to your website where they can buy or download that music for free.  You can even give away discs to people in the audience who traveled the farthest to your show or street team members who hung posters promoting the event.  Basically your music can be used to build your fan base and as a sales point at the same time.  You need good music to do that.  You need a good product.

Then down the road you are playing to 400 people a night.  Your website and Facebook page is jammed with thousands of fans and "like" comments.  All the sudden you are on a labels radar and they sneak into your next performance.  Like what they hear and offer you a deal.  It is now your choice to accept or tell them to fuck off, because you are doing just fine on your own.  I suggest you sign, but that's another blog.

The point is this I have never heard of a label signing a band without first hearing their music.  Sure they have created bands out of the blue like NSYNC and 98º, but they knew that these cats could sing and perform before they invested.  The labels understand that this is a business and at the core of their business model is music.  If you call them and tell them how great you are they won't care.  You have to show them how great you are which means you must show them that you can connect with fans and make them buy your music.  How can you do that if you never recorded a demo?

I will end this blog with a great point to hammer home that demonstrates how important good music is. One of my favorite groups is The Dave Matthews Band.  Their music was so good that a local bar owner named Coran Capshaw sold his business to manage them band.  In an interview he stated that the biggest factor in his decision was the quality of the group's music.  Because the group had such great music they peaked the interest of one of the best managers to walk this planet.  This manager helped them sell close to 40 million records worldwide, win a Grammy, and sell out some of the biggest venues on the planet.  As Capshaw saw it is all about the music, your product, in this business.  Why rush creating that product?  Why try to sell someone a bridge you do not own?

The story behind the Heel Toe Technique

I was on a road trip from Orlando to Tampa with my sister and we were skipping through radio stations trying to find something to entertain our ears.  After about thirty-five minutes of skipping through song after song, genre after genre we landed on the old classic “One” by Metallica.  Very few songs in the world force me into air guitar mode, but within minutes I was shredding away with Kirk.  My shredding session quickly stopped when the song neared the end and Lars kicked into that iconic double bass rhythm that acts as a foundation for Hetfield’s poetic verse:

           

            Darkness imprisoning me

All that I see

Absolute horror

I cannot live

I cannot die

Trapped in myself

Body my holding cell…

Now in my opinion Lars’ double bass playing ushered in a new dimension to the drum set; the idea of using double bass as a core component in the drumming structure of a song.  Sure the idea was already out there.  I mean Slayer’s Dave Lombardo was killing the double bass as were drummers from other 80’s metal groups such Iron Maiden and Megadeth, but for some reason Lars’ use of double bass in “One” quickly had young drummers around the planet seeking out a second bas drum, or at the very least a double bas pedal.  Today double bass has become a basic component to any drum kit and even icons such as Steve Gadd have jumped on the bandwagon.  

I don’t want to burst any metal bubbles out there, but double bass drumming has been around for a very long time.  Sure Keith Moon and Bonham used this type of set-up.  So have Billy Cobham and Tony Williams, but we can go back even further.  Take the late Louie Bellson who became renowned for using two bass drums in his big band set-up.  I like to cite a story about my drumming icon Buddy Rich to hammer the point.

In one of Buddy’s legendary rages he punched a wall and injured his hand while on a tour with his big band.  The injury was so bad he had to wear a brace and his manager was concerned that the superstar wouldn’t be able to play a big gig at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.  Buddy wouldn’t give up so easy.  He called up Ludwig and had them deliver a second bass drum.  That evening with no double bass training he played the show minus one hand and one extra foot.  The crowd didn’t even know what was happening until he took his final bow and they realized he was in a cast.  Many thought it was a marketing trick, but it wasn't. 

For all you young double bass drummers out there I want you to consider how much time you have put into playing a double bass kit.  I know it has taken me lots of woodshed hours to get proficient at the craft.  So why could Buddy do it almost instantly with prolific results?

The answer lies in the heel toe technique.  And contrary to what us drummers may believe this isn’t a drumming technique, but one borrowed from the tap dancing world.  Yes you heard me right.  The tap dancing world. 

It turns out that Buddy started his life as a young vaudeville star called “Traps, the drumming wonder.”  In that training he was taught the stage performance techniques of the day including tap dancing.  One of tap dancing's core moves is a technique called "The Flap Heel Toe Combination".  Take a look at this tap dancing instructional video and you will see our teacher explaining the technique.  Listen as she get going.  Can you hear the double bass?

Ok now take a look at this video by Derrick Pope.  I find him to be a very cool online resource and his technique is spot on.  The Heel Toe Technique starts at about 4:23.  

Do you see the similarities in methods.  I know the drummer isn't moving around, but watch their feet and how they make that same rocking motion with their foot as you should already be doing with your hands when you do a single stroke roll or triplet with The Moeller Technique.  

The unique thing about the Heel Toe Technique is that when it is mastered you can do it forever without the burning you may get from the standards heel down or heel up technique.  Your double bass playing will become more fluid, and like Buddy you will be able to dance on your kit.  I encourage you to check out the technique and see how it can elevate your drumming. 

Now just to prove that drummers can tap dance take a look at this video of legendary drummer Roy Haynes and Jack Dejohnette having a tap off.

One of the first lessons I learned at Berklee was that drumming is all about the dance, and as Buddy, Jack, and Roy have shown us the great ones have no problem getting down.  Is this a secret to their greatness?  

To change the palette or not to change the pallet?

For any of you who know me you know that I am very specific when it comes to my cymbal pallet.  Over the years I have tested a number of cymbals in various playing situations to develop my own unique cymbal sound.  In these trial and error scenarios I have stuck by the Zildjian brand.  After all I was handed my first set of cymbals from my father, who was also o a big Zildjian fan.  To this day I still use those vintage 1960’s era hi-hats on the road and in the studio.

On a recent contract my ride cymbal developed a nasty overtone out of the blue.  The technicians thought it was the stand, but they were wrong.  After talking with a Zildjian representative I found out that the molecular composition of the cymbal had changed and that nasty 4K overtone was there to stay.  The only way to kill it was by placing gaffers tape at strategic locations on the instrument.  This killed the bounce and made playing jazz, swing, and certain world rhythms a difficult task.  It also got me questioning if it was time to change out my brass for a new brand.

I have been researching and testing a number of other cymbal manufacturers and have narrowed my choice down to either Sabian or Meinl. This change will cost me thousands, as I will now need to reinvent my cymbal palette.

All of this raises the question.  Is it worth it?  Should I stick with Zildjian and just change out the ride and risk another dead cymbal that is out of my control or switch to a knew unknown brand that may present their own problems?

Cymbals and drums are the tools of today’s modern drummer.  Much like a drill for a carpenter they can make your work much better and efficient.  Unlike a carpenter they require you to adjust and possibly reinvent your sound with a single change, which can affect your personal brand.  So how do you do it?

I follow a specific cymbal selection pattern.  First and foremost I develop a foundation sound with my ride and hi-hats and build up from there.  With that foundation developed, I usually go with a darker sound.  I then add my crashes, usually a bit brighter cymbal sound.  This helps define them in the sound spectrum, much like engineers do with EQ settings.  Once these colors are in place I add effects cymbals such as splashes and Chinas.  Once complete I have created a new cymbal pallet and defined my new sound.  It is fun to try, but expensive and time consuming.  In the end it can be very rewarding.

If you have any suggestions let me know what I should try as the cymbal hunt is on folks. 

Merchandise now available

Hey to all you drummers out there,

I just launched an online store with a small collection of drum themed t-shirts, mugs, and other items.  I will be adding more each week.  You can check out the new line by clicking here!

I have included a bunch of items with the statement "drumming is peace", well, because it is. Over the years studying this craft I have learned how important the drum has been to the development of our planet. The sound of the drum mimics the heart beat and that is why the earliest indigenous tribes in Africa used drums and drumming to communicate with one another even before they learned how to speak.

Over the evolution of our planet the idea of rhythm spread to every corner of the world and many cultures based their own unique dances to specific drum rhythms.  In many tribal societies it was believed that the drummer could speak to the gods and was highly revered by the entire village for these powers. For other communities the drums signified a time of joy and happiness. Slaves played drums to keep their spirits up after long arduous hours in the fields. Carnival in Rio is based around specific drum beats that get those beautiful booties shaking. Even in our modern society we can still see how important the "beat" is. Club dance music is almost completely absent of lyrics and melodies, instead it is built on the pounding rhythmic bass that keeps the drinks flowing and the spirits up.

I once had the pleasure to meet the Ambassador to South Africa. When he found out I was a drummer we became great friends. Someday I will blog the amazing conversation I had with him for hours about how respected the drummer still was in many parts of the globe, but for now I will sit back and relax knowing that what I do is as true to the heart as anything out there because "drumming is peace!"