Observations on the Audio Industry

An Interview with Tom Kenny (Editor of Mix Magazine)
- Note: All answers are paraphrased and not direct dialog.

What is your background in journalism, and how did you end up at Mix Magazine?
- I graduated from Indiana University in 1988. After graduation I sent out 125 resumes to various media outlets in the San Francisco Bay area, I knew that’s where I wanted to be. The editor at Mix Magazine was an alum of Indiana University so he thought he would bring me on as a proofreader for $5.50 an hour, I quickly learned the audio is a high technology industry that needed all kinds of people.

What do you think are the key dates in the audio world, as far as its evolution?
- 1972 introduced the first piece of real digital recording.
- 1982 was the real birth of digital distribution and the compact disc (CD).
- 1992 is when software invaded the world, there were over 32 mix workstation platforms, the market was flooded.
- 2000 the market was flooded again, this time with plug-ins.

Why do you think the CD stuck out as the most used medium?
- I really have no idea why the CD has survived over 20 years. You have this little plastic disc that can only hold 680MB of information, it makes no sense, but it’s still the #1 carrier of music. When Steve Jobs and Apple came out with the iPod they were really the first to challenge the CD. The availability of digital music hasn’t thrown CD’s out as a form of transportation either, for the last 8 years blank CD sales has passed recorded CD sales.

What is going on in the world of music distribution?
- Well first of all it’s going digital, and almost anyone can have international distribution in some capacity or another. Shawn Fanning and Napster changed the idea of distribution, people now wanted cheap or free songs at the tips of their fingers, and Apple was really the first to legally answer their needs. When iTunes came out the face of music distribution completely changed, this is only backed up with the fact that iTunes pass it’s 4 billionth download not too long ago. And to think Wal-Mart actually beats out iTunes.

All kinds of stores are getting into selling music now; with digital tracks you no longer need racks and racks of music. At Starbucks you can make your own CD from a list of digital tracks, you pick your music and it’s ready to take with you when your latte is done.

How has your job changed in the last 10 years?
- It has grown more than I could have ever expected. I came into this position knowing nothing about the recording industry, and now I run 3 monthly print magazines, 3 websites, monthly and weekly newsletters, international events, and more to come. The name of the game is innovation, not just keeping up; my business shapes what’s cool tomorrow, not just what’s going on today.

The virtual world is shaping a lot of industries, including the recording industry. Places like Second Life are becoming a breeding ground for a new way of doing things and sharing information. Virtual trade shows, events, concerts, and lectures are HUGE. People want their information free and at their fingertips 24 hours a day. Our websites get over 225 thousand unique hits a month, the only way you do that is by having unique information.

What do you think of radio?
- As a whole I think radio is worthless, except for during drive time and some talk radio shows. It’s an advertising medium more than a way of finding new music; the internet has taken over that job. I’d have to say though; radio does still work for country music, so it can’t be written off completely, and I think internet radio has a very good chance.

What are some things you would like to leave everyone with?
- First, ideas are born everywhere. You don’t need to be in LA, New York City, or Nashville to make something in the music or recording business. That’s the difference between the old world of physical music and today’s world of digital music. This includes the recording world, there are networks and sites out there that allow musicians to share pieces of recordings in virtually real time; this means you can be “recording with” an individual in New York while you’re sitting in LA.
- Second, it’s all about content. Distribution is not the issue anymore, anyone can get his or her music out there, what makes you stand out is good content.
- Third, learn everything you can about technology, and learn it on both PC and Mac platforms.
- Fourth, social networking and search engines are your new best friends. Nearly 80% of our magazines’ web traffic comes from Google and Yahoo! search.

Tour Managers Speak Out on Tour Managing

Let me first just say I am amazed that we could even get these four very talented men in the same room at the same time, but I could expect nothing else from the legendary Steve McClellan who coordinated and moderated the whole seminar event. Our guests were and are touring veterans and greats in their prospective fields:

Randy Hawkins: Current tour manager for Atmosphere and Brother Ali, previously worked with Hank III, Anthrax, American Head Charge, and many others.

Monte Lee Wilkes: Currently FOH sound and production manager for Hillary Duff, worked as tour manager for Nirvana on their first national tour, FOH for Alice in Chains, The Replacements, Britney Spears, R. Kelly, and MANY others.

Casey MacPherson: Former stage manager at First Avenue in Minneapolis, former “road warrior” with The Replacements, Hüsker Dü , Bob Mould and the Suburbs.

Oscar: Recently got home from touring with the Blues Travelers as their Security Manager, he has also worked with The Replacements and Ani Difranco, just to name a few.

All the panel members started off by recounting some of their favorite moments while being on tour, from the guys in Nirvana trashing a hotel to getting gear through customs and across country lines in Europe, they all had a moment. Interestingly enough the “bad” times were always the stories that they wouldn’t trade for anything.

Top Tips For Tour Management:

1. Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. “Sure you can make a lot of money, sure you can have the glory, but unless you’re truly doing for the music you wont make it through the hard times,” said Casey. When you’re on the road for 265 days out of the year even the smallest thing can set you off, just remember why you are there; picture the fan who has been waiting to hear their favorite band live, remember your first concert and how that made you feel. “I remember sitting at the front of house (FOH) board waiting for Britney Spears to do her sound check, she was an hour late, everyone was stressed out, and I looked up at the sound system in front of me and it really hit me, I am doing what I have wanted to do since 6th grade. The stress just disappears then.”

2. Be open to all music. Until you make a name for yourself in a certain genre, and even sometimes after that, you take the jobs you can. In the touring industry there are rarely job postings, most of the gigs you do get will be from word-of-mouth connections you make a long the way. “You have to have an open mind because you can be working for Hank III and then go straight into Atmosphere, country to rap, you look into the crowd sometimes and wonder if you have stepped into a whole other time,” said Randy. ” Monte followed up with a laugh and “Try Alice in Chains to Kelly Clarkson, you really think you’re losing your mind.”

3. Look for any open door. Oscar remembered how working security and clean-up duty at First Avenue in Minneapolis seemed like the least glamorous job ever, but he credits that to his 14 years of touring as a Security Manager. Something may not seem like the best job in the world but in the end could get you where you want to be.

4. Communication is key. Promoters can be your best friends or your worst nightmares, but in the end of it all they are the reason you are there, they are paying you, they are the reason you have a job. If you go in blazing fire things don’t always get done, you must have a balance between getting things done and making friends. Giving people the respect they deserve is key. Casey reminds, “going in blazing fire makes it hard for everyone to do their job, not just you.”

5. You are the scapegoat, don’t take it personal. When something goes bad, it’s all the tour manager’s fault, and when something goes good you will never get the credit.

6. Nothing is below you. As the tour manager your job is to make sure the tour goes smooth, if your lead singer wants a carton of Camel Lights or he wont get on stage then you are the one out looking for a carton of Camel Lights. “Never let a band use your cell phone though,” explains Randy “I had a band run up a $4000 phone bill, guess who got stuck with that?”

7. Be willing to put your body on the line. “As a security manager I used a little more caution when deciding who I would work for, I had to be willing to put my body on the line for them,” says Oscar, “sometimes it comes down to you’re willing to do it for the tour manager and the crew, but make sure someone is worth it.”

8. Independent artists are worth it. These guys are driven, they have their own lives and money on the line, not that of a big label. Working with the DYI crowd can be the most rewarding job ever.

9. You make friends for life. You meet people along the way that you will never forget, it’s a community of “road warriors” that are always there to lend a hand, share a story, or spread the word.