The Brain's Reaction to Music

Everyone feels the power of music. A song is able to change the mood of an entire day. There is always a song to compliment the exact mood or feeling one is looking for. Many people will agree that most songs have a specific message or mood. If music is the cause of mood changes, then what else could music do? Can music affect our brains in more ways than emotions?

The answer is yes. Music is more powerful than anyone will ever understand. Music is a medicine without a doubt. The best part is the lack of side effects. Our brains create a chemical called dopamine when we are pleasured. This happens mainly with food and sex. The same thing happens for music, but there is an addition. Ten to fifteen seconds before the climax, dopamine is released in a completely different area of the brain due to a buildup. Music might not be able to provide a lasting effect like drugs, but it can definitely give you the same feeling for a few seconds with the right song. This is a big help to people who have anxiety problems but don’t want to take medication.

Just when some would think that was all, there’s more. Music has been proven to help with some serious issues. A person with Alzheimer can remember the words to their favorite songs even when they can’t remember their grandchild’s name. It is said that learning to play an instrument can hinder dementia. Music can help people with motor disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, by giving them a beat to synchronize their movements. Music has shown some kind of positive activity in most illnesses dealing with the brain. It is even said that music can completely rewire the brain.

No one knows the extent of music’s affects on the brain. One day, I see music being a specific kind of medication. I believe that music will be made a certain way that caters to specific parts of the brain. With more studies on this phenomenon, I do believe music will be used to cure many mental illnesses.

Should You Hire a Manager or Not?

Many people are trying to make it big in the music industry. With this increase in independent artists recently, people are debating whether or not they need any help. Many people are recording music their selves from the comfort of their own homes. They write and compose their own songs, and now they are managing their own music. Is this a good idea? Will this help aim for success or will it cause a downfall?

If an artist does not hire a manager, then he or she has to do everything on his or her own.  “Hiring a manager may seem like you are giving up a lot of control and money, but not doing so is the mistake that many talented bands make across the world” (Sigmon, n.d.). When being a manager for one’s own band, things can get out of hand or ultimately fail. Most people don’t understand the pressure of balancing everything, from business to creativity. “Aside from being a musician, you’ll need to book gigs, schedule tours, negotiate deals, sign contracts you probably don’t even understand, license your songs, give interviews…at this point, it’s obvious being a successful musician goes far beyond the music itself” (Kreinbrink, 2011). It is a very easy thing to get lost in all the work and most get controlled or blindsided by record labels. Losing rights to everything that represents one’s band or music is not something any musician wants.

This does not mean that anyone that wants to be an artist should run out and hire a manager. It is good to get the feel for being one’s own manager before hiring one. This way the artist knows what to expect in situations and understands the work of a manager. It gives a mutual respect for the manager’s line of work. One also has to make sure that the manager he or she hires is going to return that mutual respect. Even though it is a hard process to juggle being an artist and a manager, it is better to take the juggling challenge than signing with a manager that doesn’t care. “The right manager should be able to translate your artistic vision so that it remains consistent with your business operations” (Kreinbrink, 2011). Also, the weight of cost is a big factor in even considering hiring a manager. Most managers are going to ask for 15-20% of the artist’s gross income. This could be an issue for the artist is he or she is not making enough money.

Many things come into play when considering an artist. Should you hire a manager? Honestly, it really depends on the situation. If someone is just starting his or her music career, then I would say no. As stated before, it is good to have the experience and the payment is probably not an option. If the artist is becoming more recognizable and has a growing fan base, then I would say it is a necessity.

References

Kreinbrink, J. (2011, July 1). Should you hire an artist manager?. Retrieved from

http://www.ccmmagazine.com/article/should-you-hire-an-artist-manager/

Sigmon, J. (n.d.). Realistic expectations of an indie manager. Retrieved from

http://www.themusicsnob.com/2009/05/26/music-business-tips-indie-manager/ 

Negotiation Techniques

I have watched and reviewed three videos that relate to the negotiation process. They all talk about what to expect in a negotiation and how to approach each obstacle. Each has it’s own methods and ways of going about a negotiation. I have also learned something new from each video I have watched. 

The first video was a podcast by The Voluntary Life titled: “Entrepreneurship - Part 7: Negotiation.” One thing to always remember is to make sure everything is documented incase of miscommunication. Also, be explicit about your way of business. In the podcast, the speaker talks about “Getting to Yes” by Fisher and Ury. This is a book that my Entertainment Business Negotiation class is focused on. One thing I agreed strongly with in this podcast is how price has a small part in negotiation and it is easy to get caught in the price. This speaker was very helpful in explaining the Better Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). He explains that it is the alternative solution incase the negotiation fails. This is how you base whether or not the deals that are being made meet your needs. Also, know your counterparts BATNA this way you can figure out how far they are willing to go in the negotiation. This gives you the upper hand. The speaker then moves into how to deal with haggling and positional bargaining by using objective criteria. This gives the negotiation a center point to base the agreement around. This helps create faster solutions.  It also helps create mutual benefits and ends the negotiation in a win-win situation. This is the only way to have a solid negotiation that lasts in the long run. This also helps avoid disputes and going to court.

  

The second video that I watched was by Margaret Neale from Stanford business called: “Negotiation: Getting What You Want.” She talks about how she will teach others how to understand negotiation, rather than give a step-by-step method that could fail at some point. She states that negotiating should not be adversarial, but should be about problem solving. Margaret has four steps for negotiation: assess, prepare, ask and package. The first step is where I believe the BATNA comes into play. One has to weigh out the benefits and the costs of the negotiation. When one has a BATNA, he or she can compare the offer being presented to the alternative choice without the negotiation. Second, one has to prepare for the negotiation by knowing his or her interests are and what are the interests of the other negotiator. Third is to ask questions. This is the point of a negotiation. Swapping information and coming to agreements is what happens in negotiating, otherwise no one would need to negotiate. The last step is to package issue together instead of negotiating issue by issue. This way, things go smoother and people get more of what they want without fighting for it. This is what I have taken from the video to learn from. I feel this can make things much simpler and can be used in every situation.

The last video I watched was a presentation by William Ury called: “Negotiating for Sustainable Agreements.” Ury speaks about how negotiation is used all the time, whether we realize it or not. It is something we are born to do. As we age, negotiation takes more and more of our time. He also offers four tools to avoid confrontation. One tool I really took from this video is to never engage with a person in a highly emotional state. It will get the negotiation nowhere and cause conflicts. It is better to wait until the person calms down. Conversely, think before you speak. Try to see things from a different perspective before something is said that will be regretful. The second tool Ury spoke about was the ability to listen. He explains that negotiation is about listening and respect. Allow the person to know there is an understanding and care for one another. Without respect, there can be no agreement. The third tool is the to reframe. There should be more than just listening, but also focus. The focus of the negotiation should be around each other’s interests, this way everyone gets what they want out of the deal being made. Questions have to be asked to get to solutions and problem solving. The last tool mentioned is bridging. This is basically a method to make things easier when negotiating. Start the conversation on the other side of the negotiation and work your way to your side of the negotiation. This will make it easier for the other side to see things the way you see them. It also help establish a mutual understanding. These are some steps that will stick with me when negotiating.

Starting a Studio

Many people are trying to get their names written in lights. Whether it is from performing music to producing music, everyone is trying to find his or her way into the industry. Thirty-eight billion dollars is how much the music industry generates each year around the world. The United States makes up for one-third of the worlds music income. First thing that is always thought of is getting to the big labels, but what if one has no way of getting there? The next thing that is thought of is trying the indie labels. They are the middlemen of the music industry, introducing the artists to the world of fame and fortune. Some want to become one of these middlemen, such as myself, but how many are successful and what are the costs for starting this business? Is this a business someone should risk starting?

Recently, many people have been going to school for recording and mixing. This puts the ones without schooling at a disadvantage. No matter the knowledge gained prior to owning a studio, one still has to take into effect that a studio is a business and businesses take money and time. The startup cost of a studio, even an at home studio, can be between ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars. The equipment can take time and money to gather. Depending on the selection of consoles, microphones, instruments, cables, and computers/software, expenses can cost anywhere from fifty thousand to two-hundred fifty thousand dollars. Of course these expenses are paid for when bought, unlike the bills and rent payments, which occur monthly.

The other thing that people forget to recognize when opening a studio is the artist. They are the source of the revenue for the business. Without them, there wouldn’t be a studio in existence. People have to think of the payment of the artist, their royalties, their advances (if any), etc. These prices could pile up quickly and cause a business to lose money instead of gain money. Every artist wants to see their name in lights and the studio owner is in charge of making this happen. More people need to think rationally and look at the numbers before jumping in over their heads. Is this a business you would risk starting?

Is Streaming Music Digitally Hurting Or Helping The Music Industry?

Artists, Songwriters, and Labels all had a great fear in online streaming of music. The RIAA already deal with piracy of music on the Internet, which is the consumption of music on the Internet without legal rights or payment. Now with online radio/libraries such as Pandora, Spotify and Deezer, people don’t have to steal music anymore, but rather just look the song up and listen to it, even on demand. Just like the old threat of YouTube, users are allowed access to some of the biggest libraries at no cost. Even though obtaining revenue from online streaming can seem smaller than obtaining the revenue from buying songs, it can actually benefit the industry more than expected.

The biggest fear was that people would not buy the music if they could access the music for free online. Why would someone pay for music when he or she doesn’t have to pay? What was a fear to begin with turned out to be a silver lining in the digital music movement. With each music video played on YouTube and each song played on Spotify or any other online radio, royalties are paid. Something like Spotify, a loophole to piracy, turned out to be one of the biggest sources of revenue for labels.

Soon, iTunes will fall into the game with their release of iTunes Radio upon their release of iOS 7 this fall. This allows people to create a radio station just like Pandora with the same algorithmic learning. The only difference is the direct connection with the number one digital music store, iTunes Store. Each song that plays lasts for the whole duration of the song and allows the listener to purchase the song from the store. Each song that plays and each advertisement that plays will generate revenue. In addition, listeners will have a chance to discover new songs and are given the options to download the music directly to their phone, which adds more revenue. If they thought that was all, apps like Spotify and Pandora allow for ad free subscriptions for a small monthly fee.

Piracy may have scared the Music Industry away from digital music in the beginning, but now piracy has been turned into somewhat of a business. Everything is being paid for, but consumers do not have to buy anything. Everything is free, unless the consumer decides otherwise. It seems as if streaming music digitally is actually helping the Music Industry. What do you think? Is streaming hurting or helping?

RIAA

The RIAA is the Recording Industry Association of America. They help to protect the intellectual property of artists and labels as well as music regulations and policies. Not only that, but they perform research on the industry, technology, and consumers. The RIAA is also the award announcers of gold, platinum, multi platinum, and diamond records. Everything to do with music and the distribution of music has to go through the RIAA.

They provide the knowledge artist’s and studios need to know when recording music, as well as the knowledge for a consumer when purchasing music. They create and uphold the laws of ownership for music and handle any music piracy. Their main goal is to make sure artists and labels get what they deserve and no one steals from them.

Currently they are trying to slow down the ad revenue of any site affiliated with music infringement or piracy. They are hoping the movement will make an impact to show that stealing is bad, but making money off of stolen music is even worse. Most people do not realize how bad it hurts the label and artist. They are just trying to make a safe market for the artists, labels and consumers. Everyone that helped make even one song possible should be able to be compensated for his or her work. From the engineers, to the songwriters, when music is stolen, many of these people lose their jobs. 70,000 jobs a year and 12.5 billion dollars lost annually is a lot of money. Piracy should and will be stopped. What is your opinion on the RIAA and piracy of music?