International Association of Professional Songwriters and Musicians

Let’s be honest, beginning a career in music is not an easy road and far from a straight shot to fame. And one of the most difficult tasks an artist faces is stitching up the hole in their shallow pocket to fund their expensive lifestyle.

True, most musicians begin to play not with the sole intention of becoming rich but simply because they love making music and hold a strong passion for creating something very near and dear to them. But to get remotely where you want to be as an artist, you need to have the funds to get you there.

As an artist, purchasing the instruments and equipment necessary to create your music as well as hiring the right people to market it can all get pretty pricey- and that’s without mention of the cost of living and travel expenses. Fortunately, the wave of technological determinism and rise of the web has better enabled artists around the world to break down the barriers of entry to give them their shot at fame and fortune.

While the Internet has done wonders for musicians on many levels, IAPSM is looking to build off the web’s success in assisting artists to combat their financial frays. IAPSM (International Association of Professional Songwriters and Musicians) is a powerhouse of resources and services created by the artists for the artists. Because the newly launched site understands what musicians need and want the most, they are teaming up with the best businesses out there to emancipate such goods.

The site works to accommodate artists through its stipulation of a variety of preferred rates artists need at their partnered businesses. This includes discounts for accommodations and travel, music equipment and instruments, funds to purchase and sell custom merchandise, online services, duplication services and much more. TuneCore, CD Baby, Musicians Friend, and uPlaya are just several of the companies IAPSM has already created partnerships with to propagate this artist revolution and democracy.

ABOUT IAPSM

IAPSM was created by Stewart Reynolds.  A musician and entrepreneur, Reynolds saw that there was no international collective for songwriters and musicians that could provide increased buying power to secure discounts on the goods and services that those people used the most.

Stewart Reynolds is a successful songwriter (Brittlestar) and producer (RM214, Amy Schell) with various songs placed in television shows such as the MTV Real World series and worldwide radio play.

We’ve found another example of this in a recent issue of Fast Company magazine on the Heart Chamber Orchestra.

According to their website, the Heart Chamber Orchestra uses their own heartbeats to “control a computer composition and visualization environment. The musical score is generated in real time by the heartbeats of the musicians.”

The project is composed of 12 classical musicians and the artist duo TERMINALBLEACH.  We strongly encourage you to take a moment to read about the motivations behind the project and how they brought it all together – we promise it won’t disappoint!

The proponents behind the Heart Chamber Orchestra say it is a structure where music “literally comes from the heart”.

What do you think about this unique take on art and science? Obviously, science would never be able to replace art, but what do you think about the ways some innovative artists are using it to enhance their work?

If you have other examples of musicians or artists utilizing technology to create new and exciting projects, please let us know!

uPlaya Audionaut Stars

What do you think? Does his experience mirror yours? How are you using the technology and promotional tools yourself?

uPlaya Artists, The Block Scholars

The following is an excerpt from the feature:

Did you have specific goals when you put your music onto uPlaya?  Did you think, “I wanna see how these Block Scholars songs stack up against other hip-hop songs,” or “What’s their hit potential?”  You’ve mentioned that you kind of used it to tweak your songs in certain ways.  Was that something that you anticipated doing from the start or did that kind of develop along the way?
It kind of developed along the way.  At first I was like, “Let me see if what they are saying is true.”  We have gotten accolades for our music even before I went to uPlaya.  We were on many web sites; a Garage Band song of the day, one web site gave us hip-hop song of the year.  So I went and took those songs and said, “These places already think the songs are good, let’s see how uPlaya judges them.”  And the songs that got the awards got platinums and golds, so it kind of validates [the initial praise].  And then what I did was start experimenting with music, putting in demos that we just finished. [If they] didn’t get a good score, turn around, tweak it, add some more instruments, make the music clearer, a better bitrate, and put it through again, and up went the scores.  Just little things like that make a lot of difference.

You know, I’ve put some 150-200 songs through, so I’ve invested a lot of money and a lot of music into uPlaya and you have to if you really want to see what it’s gonna do.  You’re gonna have to go yourself and try it out.  And I went and used the widgets and got great response on the widgets.  They have a press kit. You gotta go use the press kit. I have a press kit with another site, you know, and I sit there and compare the press kits and see how many hits I get off of it.  Are people looking at uPlaya’s kit as well as this other kit?  Am I getting any feedback from anybody because of uPlaya, am I getting any feedback because of the other one? I do compare, on a daily basis, uPlaya to the other places that I’m at, and they’ve been great.  It’s gotten us a lot of exposure as independent artists.

Read the whole feature

What is the best band movie of all time?

BuzzKill

As you know, we are partnering with The Second City to place music in their upcoming film, BuzzKill, a dark comedy about the Karaoke Killer (Darrell Hammond) who trolls around karaoke bars and kills particularly offensive singers who can’t carry a tune.

Here at the office, we are creating a list of the TOP BAND MOVIES OF ALL TIME. Let us know your favorites by making a comment here or on our Facebook (http://www.Facebook.com/uPlaya).

We will announce the winner on Friday!

Great work guys! Eclecticus is truly an exciting, forward-looking band that uPlaya® is proud to be involved with!

Send us your own covers of your favorite songs! We may feature it on the uPlaya Facebook Page and the uPlaya Blog!

Looking for a unique new way to earn some additional fans? Cover one of your favorite songs and add a unique twist that epitomizes your act’s personality.  Something that will make your current fans fall in love with you all over again and make potential new fans look twice!  That’s what Pomplamoose did when they covered Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”, and got more than 4 million views on YouTube! Check out their version of “Single Ladies” (we have a strong feeling that you’ll be subscribing to their channel after the first minute in …)

See more Pomplamoose Music

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If you enjoyed Pomplamoose’s videos, do NOT miss their coverage in NPR, where they discuss how to create hype on YouTube and DIY digital distribution for artists.

Nataly Dawn of Pomplamoose spoke of making a living in music without the backing of major labels: “If, for example, you’re somebody who writes songs, like Lady Gaga, and you need everything that’s gonna make you Lady Gaga, YouTube’s not gonna be able to do that. You need a big fat label. But if you’re just a band, I don’t think we’re in an era anymore where you need that sort of major backing.”

Jack Conte, the second member of Pomplamoose, agreed saying he doesn’t understand why some music is often put on such a high pedestal and hyped up with smoke and mirrors:  “[Music] can be something that’s very normal and very accessible.”

uPlaya Artists Bizarre

uPlaya.com: Tell us about your fans.

Bizarre: Our music is different from most of the rest of music that you can find. We use a lot of guitars and our style has something to do with Coldplay, Keane, or even Nirvana, sometimes. The thing is that people who like this kind of bands can find in us the same type of music but in their own language, plus we put lots of feelings and power in our songs and we think that can be perceived by them.

uPlaya.com: What draws people to your music?

Bizarre: Our compositions are written, played and performed with lots of passion and strength and that is captured in our music. Most people are not indifferent when listening to something with heart and a lot of effort. We always try to include variety in our albums and not to repeat structures or rhythms.

uPlaya.com: Why do you perform the type of music that you do?

Bizarre: That is such a difficult one! We can just say that what we do is what it really comes from our soul. I don’t think we could do another kind of music, for better and for worse.

Check out one of Bizarre’s latest videos, Conseguiré!

uPlaya.com: Tell about your most recent performance.

Bizarre: The last performance was in a new venue located in Tordera, it was an electric performance and we had a huge screen just behind us projecting our music videos. We had a lot of fun. Plus, the backstage was located 2 floors under the stage, so we entered the stage from the lift, a really curious situation. It was a good experience.

uPlaya.com: What new projects are you working on? What can we expect in the future?

Bizarre: Our most recently project is our second Album. It will be released in the summer of 2010. We called it ZERO because we consider that it’s been a long time since we released our first album and so now we are starting from scratch (in Spain we say “we start from zero”). We can even say it for the songs themselves, because they are very different from each other, but they all have a Bizarre’s touch. Moreover, we had the opportunity to work with Robert Funk, from New York, a great musician who used to play as a trombonist with Rolling Stones, James Brown, etc.

uPlaya.com: How did you meet Robert Funk?

Bizarre: In 2008, we took a small tour in New York … during one of our rehearsals, Bob was nearby there and he listened to our music. He liked it, so we started to talk and we set a friendly relationship. … Some months later, we thought it could be a good idea to ask him to collaborate with us, and he did!

uPlaya.com: How does uPlaya help you in the song selection?

Bizarre: The first thing I did when I finished the song was to analyze it with uPlaya! Since we discovered your software, we feel supported by a mathematical information that helps us to choose the right way. We definitely trust it and we keep on using it.

Bizarre consists of Javier Garcia (vocals and guitar), Meritxell Marin (vocals), Jordi Bonastre (guitar), Alfonso Montaño (keyboards), Manuel Garcia (bass), Billy Purdie (drums)

Some songwriters seem to think all they have to do to write a great song, is come up with a great melody, and a great lyric – and the rest will write itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. To me, there’s nothing worse than a wonderful melody and a super lyric inside a badly thought out song.

The difference between great and average songwriting, is knowing how and where the creative parts fit and work together, like a finely tuned engine.

You can always tell an inexperienced songwriter – especially when there’s a promising melody or lyric inside his/her song. Many will over use their “wonderful melody or lyric” so that by the time the song’s half over, the listener has already grown tired of it. Having a great melody and or lyric, is all about how and where to use it in the song.

Here’s a tip. When writing – think of the verse as a build up to the chorus. The verse should be very different in melody and chord structure to that of the chorus. Some songwriters think of the verse as playing the supportive role – while the chorus is the main event.

The verse, then, is like the build up so that when you arrive at the chorus – it’s like all the fireworks suddenly going off – the “big deal” part of the song – the part where the listener gets “hooked”. Other songwriters liken arriving at the chorus to being “smacked in the face by a wet fish” or the “3D” effect.

To make the differences stand out more – some writers have the verse written in a minor key – then change into a major or have a key change on the bridge just before the chorus. Having a key change on the last chorus can also give the song a “lifting effect,” especially if it’s a catchy melody.

The lyrics, too, should been written to reflect the mood of a song. For example, if the verse poses the question, make the chorus give the answer, or vice versa. Never have lyrics posing continuous questions on both lyrics and chorus.

From: Masters Of Songwriting

uPlaya Artist Sarah Solovay

uPlaya.com:  Tell us about the moment you decided you wanted to become a musician.

Sarah Solovay:  There was never an epiphany moment for me, when I knew I had to be a singer/songwriter. In a sense, it’s something I’ve known all along.

uPlaya.com:  I see that one of your songs, “Hearts Collide”, was placed on the soundtrack for a major drama on the CW, can you tell us a little more about that experience?

Sarah Solovay:  I was so excited when I heard that they wanted to use the song because I have been watching the show from the start. It’s my guilty pleasure show.  When they wanted to use it, they flew me out to L.A. and I got to go to the set and meet some of the actors. It was a total out-of-body experience.  Even just watching the show while my song was on it was crazy. They used it perfectly, and I’m so grateful that they wanted it.

uPlaya.com:  Has your music been licensed for other opportunities?

Sarah Solovay:  I have been! My song is going to be in  an upcoming film, “The Hole” directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The ‘burbs, Twilight Zone: The Movie).   I also wrote the theme song for the Web TV Show, BFF. My song, “Gone,” is going to be used in an upcoming show starring Rob Corddry (Old School, Failure to Launch, The Heartbreak Kid, W., Hot Tub Time Machine). Conde Nast’s Teen Vogue used “All She Could Be” for photo shoot of Dakota Fanning, which was really cool too … It was thrilling … since I’m a big fan of her work. I’m always looking for ways to put my music out there into the world, so things like the teen.com and teenvogue.com pieces are magic to me.

uPlaya.com:  Why did you decide to use uPlaya.com?

Sarah Solovay:  I read about uPlaya from someone’s blog and loved the idea of uploading my songs and finding out how uPlaya’s Hit Song Science analysis would rate them.  I think it’s a unique and cool concept to be able to have scientific analysis to back up the idea of how a hit song might sound.  I also love to check out the contests that are offered!  So glad that I found you guys

uPlaya.com:  What can we expect in the future?

Sarah Solovay:  In the future, you can expect lots of new music from me. I plan on putting out a full length album sometime in the next year or two, and I really want to go on tour to support that album. I have lots of plans and lots of dreams, and I won’t stop until I make them happen. It’s that or death.

uPlaya.com:  Anything else you would like to share with fans?

Sarah Solovay:  The only other thing I’d like to share with the fans is my thanks.  I am so truly grateful for anybody who supports me in any way.  The love and support I get from the people who listen to my music make my day/week/month/world/etc.

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Can you actually read and write the notes of your songs?

Some of the most successful composers never could – and many today still can’t read a note of music.

So, is there a real disadvantage in not being able to read and write music?

The answer is yes. Let me say straight away, not being able to sight read will not disqualify you from being a successful songwriter – but it will present you with a handicap over those who can.

Firstly, writing music gives you an immediate advantage in being able to create a top line or lead sheet which you can use quickly to register the copyright in your song. Secondly, writing out the music will help you in ways you cannot imagine especially in the lay out of your song – rather like reading a road map – fields, signs timing and direction fall into place in a more convenient way. Yes I know you can buy software which will write out the music for you using midi on a keyboard or guitar, but think of the convenience of being able to write out a piece of music straight to manuscript as soon as an original melody runs through your head. At any moment a brilliant tune may come to you – and minutes later it may be lost forever.

Interestingly, understanding how to read music is not difficult at all – in fact it’s as simple as ABC. If you can read the alphabet, you can read music. Notes appear on five horizontal lines called a “stave” or “staff” Each note falls directly on one of the lines, or in the spaces. Starting with the simplest of keys – C major, the next note above C is D then E-F-G-A-B-C.  You’re simply following the alphabet. Once you get to “G” your next note above is “A” and so on. You see, in music the letters run from A to G only, that’s it. The only other notes are the “in betweens” sharps or flats (b) which mostly appear in keys other than C major.   Sounds easy? It is. Familiarize yourself with all the notes and the keys and you’ll be reading music in no time.

Those who regularly read and write often begin to see amazing possibilities in other areas of music – such as arranging, harmony, chord structure, counterpoint and even orchestration. You see, if you have creative ability to begin with, chances are these are areas you were meant to move into. Once you start your mind working the possibilities in creative music are endless.

Read More (http://www.ChristelMusic.com)

Here is an insightful, information-packed article describing one scholar’s journey to define what it means to be “indie” and how it fits in with the rapidly changing technology immersed within the modern music industry …

Progressive Sounds: Technology and Innovation in Indie Music

By Laura Schnitker, May 2010

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/125281-progressive-sounds-technology-and-innovation-in-independent-music

Excerpt:

“My effort to define “indie” led me to make an important connection between sound technology and creative approach. Just over a century ago, the development of mechanically reproduced sound gave rise to an industry that was built on the commodification of music. As mass consumerism grew, many critics feared that widespread use of such technology would lead to the cultural and intellectual decline of music. Critics like Adorno failed to appreciate, however, the ingenuity of individuals who used that technology as a means of empowerment through which they pushed the boundaries of popular music … Whatever type of indie waves may arise in the future, I am certain that new technology will again be an integral component in their unleashing.”

Some songwriters put in a key change immediately after the intro so that the opening verse has a “lifting effect” thus creating immediate interest. You can, of course, use a key change on the first chorus. This often works well if you have a strong melody. Others have the verse in a minor key then change into the major on the bridge or chorus. This helps to boost the hook and keep the listeners’ attention. This is fine, sometimes, but be warned! If the verse runs on too long the listener may well lose interest altogether before the “big hook” arrives!

However you compose your song, always try to avoid the same chord pattern for both verse and chorus. To do so may well dilute the effect of the hooks in the links of the song.

The trick, then, is being able to keep the listener’s interest throughout the whole song. Any changes must fall neatly into place without jarring or irritating the listener. The art of a good writer is to be able to put a song together with skill and dexterity so that, like a finely tuned engine, each part must fits perfectly complimenting and harmonizing with the next and compliment the next to make the engine purr!

In composing your song, the point of linkage cannot be over stressed. The change of pattern between verse and chorus is, as I have said earlier, crucial. This is the basis for having a “bridge”.

From:  http://www.MastersOfSongwriting.com

Carson Daly is known for breaking hot new talent, so this is the perfect venue to talk about Hit Song Science and the Music Universe capabilities.

Tune in to learn more about the technology, how it works, how it is affecting the music industry and how it can help artists and music professionals.

Episode airs at 1:35 a.m. EST / 12:35 Central on NBC.

[1:35 a.m. a little too late? Watch the "Spotlight" clip on NBC.com the next day here: http://www.nbc.com/Last_Call_with_Carson_Daly/video/ ]

MTV Iggy included Loomis and the Lust in their 25 Best New Bands in the World review.

Check out a video the band created for MTV Iggy’s blog series, where they convinced a crowd on the busy streets of Austin, TX at SXSW to compete in a dancing competition to win a copy of High School Musical: The Remix!