Nikki Frizzell (published July 2004 in the Minnesota Association of Christian Songwriters newsletter)
For those of you that are already experienced in the process of putting your music on the market, you may become bored with this article. But now that I have begun the process, I find myself wishing that there had been a step-by-step guide of what to expect. Yes, I’ve picked plenty of brains – probably yours too! But for those new to the whole thing, I invite you to come on a journey with me. I plan to journal my experience in the next few newsletters, and hopefully there will be some insight for you as you plan your first CD project.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about for years, but for various reasons didn’t feel confident in making the CD project leap. First of all, I had to get over the hump of believing that a songwriter with modest performance skills couldn’t create a really great CD product. I knew it would take some real expertise to pull it off, so I realized I’d need a producer. I really wanted one that I knew could take my seedling songs and turn them into beautiful (and perennial) flowers. I had some ideas, but upon making the phone calls, the producers I’d researched were too busy to take on a new project. I knew that I couldn’t get all these brain-busting ideas into a recording studio without some help, so I put things on hold for a while. I did more research and started trying a little harder to build relationships with local music folks. I started saving money (having learned what my favorite producers would charge), I started working on my craft of songwriting and vocal training, and mostly I tried really hard to hear God’s voice of direction. I attended workshops and entered contests, many of which I learned about through MACS. After the MACS CD project (2002), my confidence was bolstered a bit. Among other things, Northwest Airlines, my employer, agreed (after my finagling a big meeting) to use my “Flying” song for flight attendant graduation ceremonies. Additionally, I had a few successes with songwriting contests (after coming to the realization that you can’t win if you don’t enter!)
However, the real push came after reading “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. Through those pages I came face to face with what I believe to be my purpose, or at least one of them. How could I ignore and procrastinate when the God-given desire of writing songs that could bring people closer to Him was so clearly longing to be realized. Along with this book, there were a few other books that helped me recognize that I was just delaying the inevitable (and frustrating myself in the process.) “As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen, and “The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle” by James Rohn, were two especially motivating books for me. They enlightened me on changing the way I think about any process, and then setting some goals regarding the process. I found it was easier to make phone calls and write letters, etc., even knowing it could end in rejection. I realized that I had to define my goals one at a time, and take whatever baby steps are necessary to reach them. It has always been a blessing for me to play and sing for friend’s recording projects. Now, doing things like that became the productive baby steps of learning about what happens in the studio, making contacts and improving my craft. Each time I received feedback on a song, or sang into a microphone, I was becoming a little less “green” and a little closer to my goals. (I could go on for pages about setting and writing down personal goals, but I want to tell you more story!)
In 2003 I attended the GMA Seminar in the Rockies for the second time. The first time was back in 1998, and though I had learned much from the classes, I also learned about the exclusive nature of the music (yes, even gospel) industry. Enough said on that. THIS time, I was more interested in making relationships with publishers, and was excited about alumni songwriting classes. Our friend Guy Mahmarian was at the seminar too, and was instrumental in introducing me to some of his friends that were leading workshops. One of those friends listened to my ‘demo’ (such as it is) and said, “You know, you should call my friend in Minneapolis. He’s a great producer, and you can tell him I told you to call.” And guess what, that producer friend was on the very top of my list of favorites. He had been swamped a few years before when I’d called. But this time, I could do a little name-dropping, a little self-promotion regarding the contests I’d placed in, etc., and he agreed to listen to my demo. He liked what he heard, and he agreed to work with me. Now I am not suggesting that he said “no” the first time I called because of my no-name status, but I am suggesting that he was more excited about making time to hear my music when one of his own good friends recommended that I call him. And I wouldn’t have gotten there without making some new relationships, which of course was on my list of goals.
So now here I am in the “pre-production” phase of making a CD project. First, I recorded my favorite thirty or so songs in an inexpensive studio – just the piano and me. Some I recorded at friend Steve’s house for free. (Thanks Steve!) I gave them to the producer, he listened, and together we have narrowed them down to our favorite fifteen. We’re now working on getting them down to ten, which is an economical number for a CD project. Once we’ve done that, we’ll sit together for hours deciding if this chord is right for here, or if this melody really fits, or maybe we should remove that bridge, etc. We’ll do some editing and make a new demo copy. This is what our studio musicians will use to get to know the music better. The pre-production stage takes the longest, and for me has taken about six months. One-third of payment was required at pre-production, though costs may change a little throughout. Using live strings instead of digital, for example, will raise my cost. One of the good things about having a producer is that he already knows tons of musicians and contacts, and has already decided which of those would be the best players for my style. I really like not having to worry about that. The money that I’ll spend with a producer is well worth the peace of mind of knowing that it’s being done by someone that’s done it many times before, and I personally feel that having a great producer adds credibility to my project. One of the goals that I set at the beginning of this process was that I would do a project that is radio ready/friendly. (Getting the stations to play it is another story!) Suffice it to say that I’m glad I started saving back in 1998!
After preproduction, we’ll start tracking music, then mixing and mastering, duplication. Right now, I am planning on a release date of Feb. 1st. When I have down time, I think about those ten songs, I pray like crazy, and I keep my eyes and ears open for marketing opportunities. Hopefully the next newsletter will hold some insightful information for you regarding those topics. Thanks for reading!
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