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It was Saturday of the last Global Entertainment and Media Summit, and along with the legion of hopefuls, I shuffled into the panel discussion of the above title and took my seat. Unformed questions hung fat in the air, fetal and full of possibility, and eyes shone bright with the thirst for revelation. “How do I become a success without feeling like a whore?” was what we came to hear about, despite the fancy title and nametags. Would the gurus provided guide us to the Promised Land? At the head of the class stood Phil Nicolo, one-half of the powerhouse producing duo known as the Butcher Brothers, who are responsible for the creation of Ruffhouse Records, and have collectively worked with the Fugees, Kriss Kross, Cypress Hill, Life of Agony, Dog Eat Dog, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan, Teddy Pendergrass, and the Police. His partner for the session was Blake Morgan, a musician and founder of Engine Company Records, a small label based here in New York through which he releases his own material as well as that of small roster of other artists. Two sides of the same coin, as further illustrated by their recent collaboration on Engine Company projects. The discussion began with the requisite introductions, and each gentleman spoke a bit about what they do. Phil recounted his many exploits from over the years; Blake spoke about the hassles and disappointments of dealing with a major label. From there, the conversation turned more towards the subject at hand, and hands in the audience began to sprout up. Phil probably made the best comment of the session right in the beginning: “Think! Make personal relationships, they can help you.” More choice quotes from the hour-long session included: Phil: “We have a greater opportunity to make the records [or any project] that we want to make.” “Don’t settle for a product that isn’t great.” “Follow your heart. You never know what will be big, what people will like.” “You have to have a realistic approach.” “Artistic integrity leads to viability.” Blake: “The world has changed. No one knows what is going to happen. It’s a level playing field. How do you get heard above everyone else?” “Only fight the battle that you can win. It’s better to do what you can than nothing at all.” “Try everything. This isn’t like the old days. Get out there and do it for your self.” “Don’t wait. Don’t stop working and getting your shit together. Adaptability!” These two did their best to address all of the audience’s concerns and give as good advice as possible. Their combined experiences provided an excellent source from which to draw from, but ultimately their message was this: Know who you are and what you are doing. Make something worth standing behind, choose your own definition of success, and believe in yourself. Foster relationships that can be mutually beneficial, and don’t be afraid of change. No real revelations, no amazing epiphanies, no peeking behind the curtain-Wizard of Oz type moments. Just like trying to achieve anything life, what it boiled down to was hard work, knowledge, and dedication to yourself. These are ideals that creative people should always be following. Thankfully we have such events as GEMS to remind us to stick to them, for our own good. |
