A brief guide into the music industry..

I have personally had a variety of small jobs in different areas of the industry.

Singing:

Being a professional singer being hired for functions. An artist in my own right having auditions for labels such as Sony & Universal & then a songwriter in my band having a management contract and doing showcases in London and Brighton.

Radio:

Presenting my own radio show for a station called Rose’s Radio Showcase which hosted local artists/bands.

A&R co-ordinator

Start up indie label called Create Inspire Records - I was in charge of headhunting new talent and signing them.

Singing & Songwriting teacher:

Working privately and in music schools.

As you can see that’s a brief overview of the things I have done musically over the past 10 years. The industry itself is so cut throat that it can often not work out and you move on to something else if it doesn’t suit you. For me, the countless auditions and travelling around the country became too exhausting emotionally and physically for me so I moved around career wise before I found what works for me, which is a teacher, as well as run my own company. All of those jobs above have all contributed for me become successful in my current career.

If you are wanting a career in the industry as a singer/artist then I can help you through your journey! I have a 3 step plan which is easy to follow and will work if you put the work in with me. We can go over it in our lessons and even use part of the lesson to go over your career, for me to teach you the fundamentals and generally be there for you to ask any questions or go through any of the pit falls you have encountered.

It is always good to have a variety of informations, opinions and personal experiences, which is why I have interviewed two industry experts to give their experience in the music industry. Marianne Dunkling who is a successful artist as well as a singing teacher & Luisa Walton-Stoev who works for Atlantic Records, both were kind enough to participate in this interview and give their experiences in the industry. Enjoy!

Your name and job title:

Marianne Dunkling -

Peripatetic Vocal & Songwriting Tutor

Singer/Songwriter

Luisa Walton-Stoev -

Atlantic Records (part of Warner Music Group) as a Social Coordinator - helping artists on the label with their online presence. What is your overall experience in the music industry past and present?

Marianne: "2013 Published songwriter – no help at all, no results.

2017 Self released singer songwriter – got to number 1 on the Itunes Country album charts.

Sometimes it’s just best to do it yourself! I don’t mean to say that having someone from the music industry on your side is a bad thing, certainly not! But the best way to get noticed is to get involved and push your own music. The RIGHT people are more likely to then come along and give you the help you need!

There are so many companies out there now that will distribute your music for you that’s its crazy to not take advantage of that!"

Luisa: "Overall I would say it's very fast paced and can be quite daunting at first. I've been at Atlantic for 15 months and every day I am still learning new things about the industry and label as a whole." What would you say to any person starting out in their career as a singer? Marianne: "Have patience, work hard and love what you do."

Luisa: "Build a fanbase and a strong online presence. Choose your artist name (if it's not your own) and stick to it so that people start to know who you are"

What is your opinion on TV talent shows ie. The Voice, X-Factor or Britain’s Got Talent? Marianne: "Theres a place for everything and some people have been extremely successful on the back of these kind of shows. Just make sure it’s the right choice for you and read the terms and conditions of appearing on said shows!"

Luisa: "I think they can be incredibly detrimental to peoples careers, unless successful and making it to the final rounds. Most of those that make it far have been scouted in advance and none of it is by chance. It's all tactical and what you see on TV certainly isn't real."

Who is your inspiration/who do you aspire to be career wise and why? Marianne: "To be honest I don’t have an inspiration. There are people I admire of course… I mean Beyonce! Hello! But I just want to do my very best and that is my motivation. If you look to someone else you may start comparing yourself to them and they might have a completely different story to you that may have started way before yours did. Ask yourself if you could be doing more, and if the answer is yes then just do it!"

Luisa: "I don't want to be anyone other than myself and make my own waves doing innovative and creative campaigns with artists on my roster. I want my name to stand out as one that has done great things in her role... Rather than aiming to be like someone else." An important thing to remember when singing is… Marianne: "Love what you are singing… you’ll be more believable. And use your diaphragm!"

Luisa: "to not take yourself too seriously and enjoy it! I always let nerves get the better of me and my vocal stamina wasn't the best, so working in music behind the scenes is something I opted for, rather than being the one at the front of the stage." An important thing to remember if you’re wanting to become an artist… Marianne: "What is your outcome? You’re not going to be on radio 1 by writing Country Music. You wont play The Pyramid stage at Glastonbury by singing Jazz and you won’t feature in Kerrang magazine by sounding like Little Mix. Who are you as an artist and what do you want to achieve? Once you know that you can then go down the right path!"

Luisa: "is to have a strong artist proposition and know who you are. What is your USP (unique selling point), what makes you stand out from others? Important things to consider when branding yourself and deciding who you want to be and where you want to grow."

The best piece of advice that you have gotten Marianne: "As cliché as it sounds, ‘Believe in yourself’.

Not believing in your own ability will kill your career before it even starts. If you don’t believe in yourself you wont go for what you want and therefore you wont get it. Simple."

Luisa: "this is a tough one. I think that being tough is actually a must. There's always rejection and always going to be someone better than you. But if you work hard and find your niche you'll be noticed and it will be worth it." What is the key to success in the music industry? Marianne: "HARD WORK!!! You can be the best singer in the whole world but it doesn’t automatically mean you will become successful. NETWORK your ass off and make yourself known to everyone! Musicians, songwriters, producers, radio presenters, industry people…you get the picture!

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard."

Luisa: "oh gosh, if I knew this I wouldn't be working behind the scenes!" What would you say to your younger self when you start singing?

Marianne: "No one is going to want this for you more than you do...its up to you to get what you want."

Luisa: "To enjoy myself more and stop worrying. Singing is so much fun, and I miss that I don't get to do it as much as I would like to anymore. (although it's nice that Warner have a choir so I get to sing with them every Wednesday lunch time)"

Thank you ladies!

If you have any questions/queries about your future in music or would like to enquire email roseraysilvsingingteaching@outlook.com