admin
Fri, 10/14/2022 - 18:12
Edited Text
Marcus Martínez
Reflection Paper
Global Entertainment and Music Business
June 27, 2014
Reflection Paper
Table of Contents
Page #
1. Summary
3
2. Process
8
a. Be
Proactive
8
b. Begin
With
The
End
of
Mind
9
c. Put
First
Things
First
10
d. Think
Win
Win
11
e. Seek
First
to
Understand
Then
to
Be
Understood
12
f. Synergize
13
g. Sharpen
The
Saw
13
3. Results
14
4. Next Step
16
5. Contribution To The Discipline & Profession
17
6. Impact on Student Completing Work
18
7. Conclusion
19
8. Appendicses
20
2
Summary
When I arrived in Valencia on September 1st, 2013, I immediately knew what
project I would commit to for the rest of my time here. Now, at the end of times here in
Valencia, Spain, I am happy to declare that I have gone above & beyond. My
accomplishments have not gone without problems, however. All in all, I have released
two original EP’s, all produced and engineered by me and have built a small social
media presence online. I also have established a valid business concept and devised a
business plan that I will use to take out a loan to start the business. A majority of the
time spent in Valencia was used to thoroughly consider all facets of the music business
that align with my interests. From the creative process to the business strategies
involved, I have taken a considerable amount of time to dissect each aspect of the music
industry to understand how I can leverage what I’ve learned to my success.
In total, it took me approximately 81 days to complete my first EP, Long Was The
Night. The project consisted of five original tracks. I collaborated with many fellow
students in order to accomplish this project. Students involved in the project were:
Sammy Pisano, Vanessa Barabad, Aditya Srinivasan Maruthuvakudi Thiagarajan,
Timothy Shull, and Ryan Renteria. Other collaborators included an anonymous
individual from Chile and Precious Molokwu. The tracklist was as follows:
3
1. Dawn by The Seaside
2. I, The Legend
3. Don Juan’s Lament
4. Until Forever
5. The Night, She is Young
In order to produce the EP, I used the resources made available to me by Berklee
Valencia. Software and Hardware I used were as follows:
•
Logic Pro
•
Pro Tools
•
Native Instruments VST’s
•
Izotope VST’s
•
Neve 1079
•
AKG 4040
With little to no marketing plan, I released the EP on January 17th 2014.
Unfortunately, my first project did no receive so much attention and I decided to
remove most of it off the Internet in order to rework my “sound”. What I learned from
the first project was that I have to build buzz around the project. Borrowing from the
old adage, “If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it…” I began to understand that I
was going to adapt my release strategy to today’s most cacophonous method of
publicity: Social Media. Thus, I embarked on my second project with a completely
4
different focus both stylistically and commercially. Creative-wise, I recharged the
second EP’s focus from dwelling on things that have happened, to things that are
happening. I decided to challenge myself and aim for a April 15th, 2014 release. My next
EP, “Ides of April” had me rapping about the life and times of an individual who was
currently spending his time abroad. Other themes centered on the reality of being
financially bankrupt and the freedom that comes with acquiring financial
independence, a typical Summer day in my hometown of Sussex, and letting go of
things in the past and forgiving those who have wronged you. This time around, I
focused on working with individuals who I believed were much more interested in my
genre.
I took this EP as an oppourtunity to bridge gaps between potential business
partners and me as well. For instance, I was able to convince a California based clothing
company, Money Motivated Clothing (www.moneymotivatedclothing.com) to provide
me with some apparel as part of a sponsorship. This bode well for my credibility online
as it translated to more likes and retweets. Additionally, I started to promote the release
of my 2nd EP on social media by tweeting quotes and releasing video content. I also was
able to connect with some additional talent back home. I collaborated with the
following individuals:
5
•
Zachary Troost
•
Lequan Eaton
•
Ganavya Doraiswamy
•
Ryan Renteria
Additionally, I was also able to produce my very first music video to my single “Still So
Young” with the help of one of my close friends and the GEMB’s class of 14’ very own,
Aalap Deboor. There was a very positive reception to the release of my second EP and
perhaps has solidified me as an actual rap artist and not just a wannabe. The 2nd EP was
much, much more successful than my first, which even led to a repost on a popular
online blog. I consider my 2nd EP to be my first “successful” release. Although I have
not yet released any of my material for sale, I do understand that there has been some
shift on how the market consumes music and whether or not the same revenue models
are available to artists like me anymore. This was perhaps the reason why I did not go
through the hassle of attempting to sale my music via iTunes or has it placed on
Spotify’s database. For an individual like myself, it just is not worth going through the
trouble especially if the ROI is pennies for an effort that took a considerable amount of
time (~69 days).
The skills required to correctly produce and market these two EP’s qualify me for a
variety of positions, some are as followed:
6
•
Studio manager
•
Management
•
Artist Development
•
Music Production
•
Publishing Administration
After the release of my 2nd project, I quickly began work on my third EP, Skies.
Although I began production for this next EP in May of 2014, it is with lament that I
must say that it will not be released before the end of my time in Valencia. I have been
able to finish all the instrumental production on this project and I have managed to be
able to release the single from the EP. Although the EP will not be release before my
times end here, it is not without its rational alibi. During the May break, I began to
reposition myself as more of a business minded individual and drew from my
reflections on the past two projects to switch my focus to developing a business plan for
an innovative record label. My rationale behind this decision was that based upon my
ability to take on several roles in the creative and business process of producing and
marketing original content, I derived a new ambition to develop an innovative record
label.
As a result my focus shifted from developing a third EP to writing a business
plan for my record label, Creative Cake.
7
Process
I focused most of my efforts throughout the year on acquiring skills that would lead
me to become a creative entrepreneur. One of the key characteristics of this modern day
Renaissance man is a proclivity to be proactive. Thus, I will center the entire process of
my culminating experience on Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People”.
1. Be Proactive
“Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles)
are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your
choices and the consequences that follow.”
Part of becoming a music industry professional is understanding that, given the
unpredictable nature of the business, one’s position is solely a factor of one’s decision
making process. I came to Valencia in order to flex my creative and business muscles
and to begin a lengthy, arduous process of becoming a force within this industry. As a
result, I had decided to take it upon myself to invest my time into as many activities as I
could hear that were of interest. Aside from the mandatory academic responsibilities, I
would often spend time reading about future industry trends, attending music business
workshops, connecting with industry professionals, and building my own repertoire as
both an artist and creative businessperson. There was hardly a moment wasted. I had
8
decided to gather my collective energies and focus them onto creating a number of
projects that would increase my technical skills and business aptitudes.
2. Begin With The End in Mind
“Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the
ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.”
From the onset, I had envisioned what I would have as my finished products by
the end of my time in Valencia. I envisioned having released two, maybe three quality
projects, building my understanding of business and creating a business plan,
developing my network and professional aptitude, and having at least performed once
live. I based every one of my decisions on these goals and as a result I am happy to
declare that I have fulfilled what I have set out to do. Though the process was not easy,
as it was emotionally difficult, I did everything within my own power to continue on
my path.
9
3. Put First Things First
“A manager must manage his own person. Personally. And managers should implement
activities that aim to reach the second habit.”
Time management and organizational skills were crucial throughout. We had
one entire year to use as we wish. Although we had four, three-hour classes per week
and a plethora of work outside the class as well, we still were left with an enormous
amount of free time to do as we wished. There were many social events that went on
during the week that I often was absent from because I had set my priorities straight.
My number one priority was to create an original business plan as well as original EP’s.
Often times, it was difficult to defer from participating in all the social events that
occurred throughout the year. But I knew that if I had not acted upon what was
important first, then I would not be where I am at now and be feeling so accomplished
with what I did this year. I easily spent over 1000 hours altogether on forging different
talents and skills. Whether I was in the library, reading about the latest music industry
deal, learning about appropriate methods of conducting business and effective
strategies, or in the studio creating quality music, I have no doubt in my mind that I
have spent more than 80% of my time in Valencia attempting to become a better version
of myself in order to one day fulfill myself as a professional in the music industry.
10
4. Think Win-Win
“Genuine feelings for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value
and respect people by understanding a "win" for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution
than if only one person in the situation had got his way.”
It’s important to move away from the paradigm of the music industry as being a
zero sum game. That is why I took it upon myself to reach out to as many people as I
saw fit to work and collaborate on my projects. As mentioned before, I worked with a
variety of people from all the different programs here on campus. Each time we worked
together, I always understood that there was a mutual exchange of value in process.
These artists made my projects sound much better and in turn they were given an
opportunity to explore a genre that they were not very familiar with, Hip Hop.
Additionally, when speaking to different professors and colleagues about what the best
way to go about writing a business plan would be, I knew that the time we spent
together and the laughter shared was also an invaluable added benefit to both of our
lives. Many times within this industry, people are consumed by vanity and are drunken
with the power that money and fame brings which often leads to extremely shallow and
inauthentic behavior that leaves behind it in its wake a trail of sorrow. There are plenty
of individuals who do not see how giving others intrinsic value forms is much more
fulfilling then oft clichéd forms of value such as financial benefits. I am happy and
fulfilled. I know I am because I have added value to the lives of others and as such I
11
have received and accepted value in turn. I have built my life around adding value to
others’ lives and in the end a great business led by a great businessperson understands
this to be their number one priority in business.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
“Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to
reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an
atmosphere of caring, and positive problem solving.”
As part of being part of international body of students who often worked
together on several different projects, there was bound to be some misunderstanding
and tension as a result. This was also true when it came to organizing my live event as
well as organizing times for individuals to come in to record and collaborate with. I
believe that there were more times than not where my intentions and my self were
misconstrued to be something it was not. However, I never let these misunderstandings
deter me from any goal that I have set out in all my endeavors.
12
6. Synergize
“Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one
person could have done alone.”
As mentioned before, I collaborated with a number of people in order to deliver
quality projects that I could not have possibly done without the help of these
individuals. Had I stayed in my hometown in New Jersey and not gone outside of my
comfort zone to explore career opportunities in Valencia, I would not have met people
who were much more skilled at what I do and thus I would not have learned much. As
a result of my efforts, I have learned from some of the most intelligent individuals that I
have met in a long while on how to compose and produce quality pieces of music as
well as how to best conduct online businesses and how to draw from effective strategies
to conduct business well.
7. Sharpen the Saw
“Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term,
effective lifestyle. It primarily emphasizes exercise for physical renewal, prayer (meditation, yoga,
etc.) and good reading for mental renewal. It also mentions service to society for spiritual
renewal.”
13
Near the end of my time here in Valencia, I decided to take it one step further than
expected. Originally, my culminating experience was only expected to be an operational
plan, which consisted of a couple of EP’s and a live event. However, I decided to take
what I learned from the process of producing these EP’s and the live event and convert
it into a full on business plan. I take the business plan as my transition process into
becoming an actual music professional. The business plan was an exercise in taking
what I learned throughout the year and concentrating it into one cohesive structure that
could be later used to potentially draw some funds from investors or creditors. I started
the business plan at the end of the second semester and finished it today on the day our
thesis was due. In it lies the accumulation of the wealth of knowledge I have absorbed
while here in Valencia. I plan to use this knowledge to my benefit to create a
functioning business model that will leave me in a position to mandate my own destiny
and to add value to our society as well.
Results
I was able to accomplish everything that I set out to do during my year here in
Valencia except for one goal. It is quite unfortunate as it was set to be the climax of my
culmination experience. I had spoken with an alumni of last year’s Global
Entertainment and Music Business class, Loic Vazquez, and had asked him if we could
organize an event together. I trusted Loic to be capable of finding the venue and
guiding me in organizing the event along with promotion. We had done so. I was to
perform on June 27th, 2014 at 6:30 in the evening with other artists within the program.
14
These artists were, Trevy Kiy, Samuel Pisano, and Kareem Clarke. We were set to
perform with a very diverse set of local hip hop talent from the Valencian area, it was
sure to be a great time. I was set to debut my new song off my next EP “Skies” at that
concert and I was looking forward to showing the locals a good time. On Thursday
morning, the day before the concert, I received a text from Loic…
I see a few discrepancies here that I can easily argue but I choose not to for the
sake of my own peace of mind. Regardless, I learned that it is important to work with
an individual who is much more professional in what he does and that can ensure me
some sort of remuneration in the unlikely circumstance that a show is cancelled. A lot of
individuals within the program were looking forward to the show and I saw plenty of
long faces when I had to break the news that the show was not going to happen.
As for the rest of the project, all my expectations were met. There was not one aspect of
this project, aside from the misfortunate that befell upon me, that was not aligned to my
original expectations. However, I am fortunate to have such good friends. I will be
15
performing along side the same individuals at another venue on June 28th, 2014.
Although I did not organize this event, I still understand what it takes to do so because
of the experience that I had with Loic. So I am very grateful of that.
Next Step
Taking all that I have learned here, I will be sure to apply it to my future
endeavors. For instance, I am seeking some debt financing in order to start my
innovative record label as soon as I feel prepared that my business plan is up to par
with what a banker would expect. I will make sure to use the presentation skills that I
have exercised in both of Emilien’s entrepreneurship classes in order to prepare my
pitch to potential creditors and investors. I will also make use of my financial literacy in
order to explain the revenue model and how I plan to make a sustainable business.
I have also been hired as a social media strategist at a local studio in my
hometown. I will be using the tactics that I have been taught by my social media
professor, Gwen, in order to develop a good social media marketing campaign in order
to bring more clientele. I will also be using the space in order to engineer local talent
and will be using the technical skills I have developed in Berklee’s studios to produce
quality records. I will also take this opportunity to do a bit of A&R work to recruit
talent for my start up record label.
16
Finally, I am also going to organize a live event for charity called Indie Aid. This
live event will take place in my hometown as part of the marketing campaign I am
developing for the local studio I am working at. I plan on finding a popular venue site
where I can invite some of the most popular and talented local talent in support of a
charity and the local independent music scene. My goal is to create an Indie Aid
tradition and legacy where it becomes a yearly circuit for up up coming talent to show
case their best efforts. At its peak, Indie Aid should also become a recruiting camp for
A&R’s from major labels to seek the hottest up and coming talent as well as work as a
fundraiser for a charity.
Contribution to The Discipline and Profession
I cannot definitely say that I have concretely contributed anything to the industry
as of yet. I can say, however, that I took most of my time this year as training for my
future contributions to the industry. This year, I have developed skills as a social media
strategist, artist development and management, music producer and engineer, live
events organizer and promoter, artist and repertoire, and overall business lead. My true
contribution to the industry begins this summer with my position as a social media
strategist and campaigns manager for Whirlybird Studios in Franklin, NJ. I plan to
spend most of this summer building their brand equity and revamping their social
media presence as well as bringing new clients in myself to produce quality records.
The climax of Whirlybird’s social media campaign this summer will be the Indie Aid
live event for charity. I will be in charge of contacting the artists and all individuals
17
within the value chain in order to successfully promote and run a live event. Although
this will definitely be one of the greatest challenges of my young professional career, I
feel prepared to handle this task after all I have learned her in Berklee Valencia. I will
also be using the skills I have developed here in order to bring in new clients into the
studio and produce quality records. I feel completely confident in my ability to do this.
Impact on Student Completing Work
This year has been difficult, yet rewarding. I can now say with confidence that I
am levels beyond the average music business entrepreneur skill and knowledge set and
I feel that I am prepared to enter into a highly responsible working position in the near
future. More than anything else, I feel more secure in my ability communicate business
and working matters on a personal basis and I feel more in control over my own
reactions to certain events. As we all know, in life, things never go as expected and
these are usually outside of one’s circle of influence. However, It is within one’s power
to retain dominion over one’s attitude and reactions to events that occur to the
individual. I feel as if though that throughout all the struggles I have experienced
throughout this year that I have grown to become a much more disciplined and
grounded individual. The result of what I have learned here has given me the
opportunity to become courted by a couple of well-known and reputable industry
names. For instance, I have received contact by music publishing giant BMG as well as
one of the four majors Sony Music. If things go well, I will be interning with one of
these companies in the fall, if not then I always have Cyber PR.
18
Conclusion
Overall, my experience here in Berklee Valencia has been one of the most
arduous and emotionally difficult one’s that I have faced in all my years. I feel
completely depleted, burnt out, and out of fuel to continue anymore of this without
some major reward or break. However, I feel as if though I have graduated from one of
the most intensive programs available to aspiring music businessmen like myself. I
have completely redefined my way of though and have an entirely new perspective on
life. All in all, I can say that my time here in Berklee Valencia was well. I would like to
thank the administrative staff and faculty on their support of the Global Entertainment
and Music Business Program and would like to extend my appreciation to all the
individuals that I have met along my path here in Berklee Valencia. I will truly miss all
of the friends and advisors I have met here and I plan on continuing Berklee’s legacy
outside of school and within my professional career. Thank you.
19
Appendices
“Long Was The Night,” available at: https://soundcloud.com/realavrelivs/sets/longwas-the-night/s-sStes
“Ides of April,” available at:
https://soundcloud.com/realavrelivs/sets/ides-of-april-1/s-2Ch0d
20
Reflection Paper
Global Entertainment and Music Business
June 27, 2014
Reflection Paper
Table of Contents
Page #
1. Summary
3
2. Process
8
a. Be
Proactive
8
b. Begin
With
The
End
of
Mind
9
c. Put
First
Things
First
10
d. Think
Win
Win
11
e. Seek
First
to
Understand
Then
to
Be
Understood
12
f. Synergize
13
g. Sharpen
The
Saw
13
3. Results
14
4. Next Step
16
5. Contribution To The Discipline & Profession
17
6. Impact on Student Completing Work
18
7. Conclusion
19
8. Appendicses
20
2
Summary
When I arrived in Valencia on September 1st, 2013, I immediately knew what
project I would commit to for the rest of my time here. Now, at the end of times here in
Valencia, Spain, I am happy to declare that I have gone above & beyond. My
accomplishments have not gone without problems, however. All in all, I have released
two original EP’s, all produced and engineered by me and have built a small social
media presence online. I also have established a valid business concept and devised a
business plan that I will use to take out a loan to start the business. A majority of the
time spent in Valencia was used to thoroughly consider all facets of the music business
that align with my interests. From the creative process to the business strategies
involved, I have taken a considerable amount of time to dissect each aspect of the music
industry to understand how I can leverage what I’ve learned to my success.
In total, it took me approximately 81 days to complete my first EP, Long Was The
Night. The project consisted of five original tracks. I collaborated with many fellow
students in order to accomplish this project. Students involved in the project were:
Sammy Pisano, Vanessa Barabad, Aditya Srinivasan Maruthuvakudi Thiagarajan,
Timothy Shull, and Ryan Renteria. Other collaborators included an anonymous
individual from Chile and Precious Molokwu. The tracklist was as follows:
3
1. Dawn by The Seaside
2. I, The Legend
3. Don Juan’s Lament
4. Until Forever
5. The Night, She is Young
In order to produce the EP, I used the resources made available to me by Berklee
Valencia. Software and Hardware I used were as follows:
•
Logic Pro
•
Pro Tools
•
Native Instruments VST’s
•
Izotope VST’s
•
Neve 1079
•
AKG 4040
With little to no marketing plan, I released the EP on January 17th 2014.
Unfortunately, my first project did no receive so much attention and I decided to
remove most of it off the Internet in order to rework my “sound”. What I learned from
the first project was that I have to build buzz around the project. Borrowing from the
old adage, “If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it…” I began to understand that I
was going to adapt my release strategy to today’s most cacophonous method of
publicity: Social Media. Thus, I embarked on my second project with a completely
4
different focus both stylistically and commercially. Creative-wise, I recharged the
second EP’s focus from dwelling on things that have happened, to things that are
happening. I decided to challenge myself and aim for a April 15th, 2014 release. My next
EP, “Ides of April” had me rapping about the life and times of an individual who was
currently spending his time abroad. Other themes centered on the reality of being
financially bankrupt and the freedom that comes with acquiring financial
independence, a typical Summer day in my hometown of Sussex, and letting go of
things in the past and forgiving those who have wronged you. This time around, I
focused on working with individuals who I believed were much more interested in my
genre.
I took this EP as an oppourtunity to bridge gaps between potential business
partners and me as well. For instance, I was able to convince a California based clothing
company, Money Motivated Clothing (www.moneymotivatedclothing.com) to provide
me with some apparel as part of a sponsorship. This bode well for my credibility online
as it translated to more likes and retweets. Additionally, I started to promote the release
of my 2nd EP on social media by tweeting quotes and releasing video content. I also was
able to connect with some additional talent back home. I collaborated with the
following individuals:
5
•
Zachary Troost
•
Lequan Eaton
•
Ganavya Doraiswamy
•
Ryan Renteria
Additionally, I was also able to produce my very first music video to my single “Still So
Young” with the help of one of my close friends and the GEMB’s class of 14’ very own,
Aalap Deboor. There was a very positive reception to the release of my second EP and
perhaps has solidified me as an actual rap artist and not just a wannabe. The 2nd EP was
much, much more successful than my first, which even led to a repost on a popular
online blog. I consider my 2nd EP to be my first “successful” release. Although I have
not yet released any of my material for sale, I do understand that there has been some
shift on how the market consumes music and whether or not the same revenue models
are available to artists like me anymore. This was perhaps the reason why I did not go
through the hassle of attempting to sale my music via iTunes or has it placed on
Spotify’s database. For an individual like myself, it just is not worth going through the
trouble especially if the ROI is pennies for an effort that took a considerable amount of
time (~69 days).
The skills required to correctly produce and market these two EP’s qualify me for a
variety of positions, some are as followed:
6
•
Studio manager
•
Management
•
Artist Development
•
Music Production
•
Publishing Administration
After the release of my 2nd project, I quickly began work on my third EP, Skies.
Although I began production for this next EP in May of 2014, it is with lament that I
must say that it will not be released before the end of my time in Valencia. I have been
able to finish all the instrumental production on this project and I have managed to be
able to release the single from the EP. Although the EP will not be release before my
times end here, it is not without its rational alibi. During the May break, I began to
reposition myself as more of a business minded individual and drew from my
reflections on the past two projects to switch my focus to developing a business plan for
an innovative record label. My rationale behind this decision was that based upon my
ability to take on several roles in the creative and business process of producing and
marketing original content, I derived a new ambition to develop an innovative record
label.
As a result my focus shifted from developing a third EP to writing a business
plan for my record label, Creative Cake.
7
Process
I focused most of my efforts throughout the year on acquiring skills that would lead
me to become a creative entrepreneur. One of the key characteristics of this modern day
Renaissance man is a proclivity to be proactive. Thus, I will center the entire process of
my culminating experience on Stephen R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People”.
1. Be Proactive
“Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles)
are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your
choices and the consequences that follow.”
Part of becoming a music industry professional is understanding that, given the
unpredictable nature of the business, one’s position is solely a factor of one’s decision
making process. I came to Valencia in order to flex my creative and business muscles
and to begin a lengthy, arduous process of becoming a force within this industry. As a
result, I had decided to take it upon myself to invest my time into as many activities as I
could hear that were of interest. Aside from the mandatory academic responsibilities, I
would often spend time reading about future industry trends, attending music business
workshops, connecting with industry professionals, and building my own repertoire as
both an artist and creative businessperson. There was hardly a moment wasted. I had
8
decided to gather my collective energies and focus them onto creating a number of
projects that would increase my technical skills and business aptitudes.
2. Begin With The End in Mind
“Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the
ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.”
From the onset, I had envisioned what I would have as my finished products by
the end of my time in Valencia. I envisioned having released two, maybe three quality
projects, building my understanding of business and creating a business plan,
developing my network and professional aptitude, and having at least performed once
live. I based every one of my decisions on these goals and as a result I am happy to
declare that I have fulfilled what I have set out to do. Though the process was not easy,
as it was emotionally difficult, I did everything within my own power to continue on
my path.
9
3. Put First Things First
“A manager must manage his own person. Personally. And managers should implement
activities that aim to reach the second habit.”
Time management and organizational skills were crucial throughout. We had
one entire year to use as we wish. Although we had four, three-hour classes per week
and a plethora of work outside the class as well, we still were left with an enormous
amount of free time to do as we wished. There were many social events that went on
during the week that I often was absent from because I had set my priorities straight.
My number one priority was to create an original business plan as well as original EP’s.
Often times, it was difficult to defer from participating in all the social events that
occurred throughout the year. But I knew that if I had not acted upon what was
important first, then I would not be where I am at now and be feeling so accomplished
with what I did this year. I easily spent over 1000 hours altogether on forging different
talents and skills. Whether I was in the library, reading about the latest music industry
deal, learning about appropriate methods of conducting business and effective
strategies, or in the studio creating quality music, I have no doubt in my mind that I
have spent more than 80% of my time in Valencia attempting to become a better version
of myself in order to one day fulfill myself as a professional in the music industry.
10
4. Think Win-Win
“Genuine feelings for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value
and respect people by understanding a "win" for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution
than if only one person in the situation had got his way.”
It’s important to move away from the paradigm of the music industry as being a
zero sum game. That is why I took it upon myself to reach out to as many people as I
saw fit to work and collaborate on my projects. As mentioned before, I worked with a
variety of people from all the different programs here on campus. Each time we worked
together, I always understood that there was a mutual exchange of value in process.
These artists made my projects sound much better and in turn they were given an
opportunity to explore a genre that they were not very familiar with, Hip Hop.
Additionally, when speaking to different professors and colleagues about what the best
way to go about writing a business plan would be, I knew that the time we spent
together and the laughter shared was also an invaluable added benefit to both of our
lives. Many times within this industry, people are consumed by vanity and are drunken
with the power that money and fame brings which often leads to extremely shallow and
inauthentic behavior that leaves behind it in its wake a trail of sorrow. There are plenty
of individuals who do not see how giving others intrinsic value forms is much more
fulfilling then oft clichéd forms of value such as financial benefits. I am happy and
fulfilled. I know I am because I have added value to the lives of others and as such I
11
have received and accepted value in turn. I have built my life around adding value to
others’ lives and in the end a great business led by a great businessperson understands
this to be their number one priority in business.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
“Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to
reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an
atmosphere of caring, and positive problem solving.”
As part of being part of international body of students who often worked
together on several different projects, there was bound to be some misunderstanding
and tension as a result. This was also true when it came to organizing my live event as
well as organizing times for individuals to come in to record and collaborate with. I
believe that there were more times than not where my intentions and my self were
misconstrued to be something it was not. However, I never let these misunderstandings
deter me from any goal that I have set out in all my endeavors.
12
6. Synergize
“Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one
person could have done alone.”
As mentioned before, I collaborated with a number of people in order to deliver
quality projects that I could not have possibly done without the help of these
individuals. Had I stayed in my hometown in New Jersey and not gone outside of my
comfort zone to explore career opportunities in Valencia, I would not have met people
who were much more skilled at what I do and thus I would not have learned much. As
a result of my efforts, I have learned from some of the most intelligent individuals that I
have met in a long while on how to compose and produce quality pieces of music as
well as how to best conduct online businesses and how to draw from effective strategies
to conduct business well.
7. Sharpen the Saw
“Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term,
effective lifestyle. It primarily emphasizes exercise for physical renewal, prayer (meditation, yoga,
etc.) and good reading for mental renewal. It also mentions service to society for spiritual
renewal.”
13
Near the end of my time here in Valencia, I decided to take it one step further than
expected. Originally, my culminating experience was only expected to be an operational
plan, which consisted of a couple of EP’s and a live event. However, I decided to take
what I learned from the process of producing these EP’s and the live event and convert
it into a full on business plan. I take the business plan as my transition process into
becoming an actual music professional. The business plan was an exercise in taking
what I learned throughout the year and concentrating it into one cohesive structure that
could be later used to potentially draw some funds from investors or creditors. I started
the business plan at the end of the second semester and finished it today on the day our
thesis was due. In it lies the accumulation of the wealth of knowledge I have absorbed
while here in Valencia. I plan to use this knowledge to my benefit to create a
functioning business model that will leave me in a position to mandate my own destiny
and to add value to our society as well.
Results
I was able to accomplish everything that I set out to do during my year here in
Valencia except for one goal. It is quite unfortunate as it was set to be the climax of my
culmination experience. I had spoken with an alumni of last year’s Global
Entertainment and Music Business class, Loic Vazquez, and had asked him if we could
organize an event together. I trusted Loic to be capable of finding the venue and
guiding me in organizing the event along with promotion. We had done so. I was to
perform on June 27th, 2014 at 6:30 in the evening with other artists within the program.
14
These artists were, Trevy Kiy, Samuel Pisano, and Kareem Clarke. We were set to
perform with a very diverse set of local hip hop talent from the Valencian area, it was
sure to be a great time. I was set to debut my new song off my next EP “Skies” at that
concert and I was looking forward to showing the locals a good time. On Thursday
morning, the day before the concert, I received a text from Loic…
I see a few discrepancies here that I can easily argue but I choose not to for the
sake of my own peace of mind. Regardless, I learned that it is important to work with
an individual who is much more professional in what he does and that can ensure me
some sort of remuneration in the unlikely circumstance that a show is cancelled. A lot of
individuals within the program were looking forward to the show and I saw plenty of
long faces when I had to break the news that the show was not going to happen.
As for the rest of the project, all my expectations were met. There was not one aspect of
this project, aside from the misfortunate that befell upon me, that was not aligned to my
original expectations. However, I am fortunate to have such good friends. I will be
15
performing along side the same individuals at another venue on June 28th, 2014.
Although I did not organize this event, I still understand what it takes to do so because
of the experience that I had with Loic. So I am very grateful of that.
Next Step
Taking all that I have learned here, I will be sure to apply it to my future
endeavors. For instance, I am seeking some debt financing in order to start my
innovative record label as soon as I feel prepared that my business plan is up to par
with what a banker would expect. I will make sure to use the presentation skills that I
have exercised in both of Emilien’s entrepreneurship classes in order to prepare my
pitch to potential creditors and investors. I will also make use of my financial literacy in
order to explain the revenue model and how I plan to make a sustainable business.
I have also been hired as a social media strategist at a local studio in my
hometown. I will be using the tactics that I have been taught by my social media
professor, Gwen, in order to develop a good social media marketing campaign in order
to bring more clientele. I will also be using the space in order to engineer local talent
and will be using the technical skills I have developed in Berklee’s studios to produce
quality records. I will also take this opportunity to do a bit of A&R work to recruit
talent for my start up record label.
16
Finally, I am also going to organize a live event for charity called Indie Aid. This
live event will take place in my hometown as part of the marketing campaign I am
developing for the local studio I am working at. I plan on finding a popular venue site
where I can invite some of the most popular and talented local talent in support of a
charity and the local independent music scene. My goal is to create an Indie Aid
tradition and legacy where it becomes a yearly circuit for up up coming talent to show
case their best efforts. At its peak, Indie Aid should also become a recruiting camp for
A&R’s from major labels to seek the hottest up and coming talent as well as work as a
fundraiser for a charity.
Contribution to The Discipline and Profession
I cannot definitely say that I have concretely contributed anything to the industry
as of yet. I can say, however, that I took most of my time this year as training for my
future contributions to the industry. This year, I have developed skills as a social media
strategist, artist development and management, music producer and engineer, live
events organizer and promoter, artist and repertoire, and overall business lead. My true
contribution to the industry begins this summer with my position as a social media
strategist and campaigns manager for Whirlybird Studios in Franklin, NJ. I plan to
spend most of this summer building their brand equity and revamping their social
media presence as well as bringing new clients in myself to produce quality records.
The climax of Whirlybird’s social media campaign this summer will be the Indie Aid
live event for charity. I will be in charge of contacting the artists and all individuals
17
within the value chain in order to successfully promote and run a live event. Although
this will definitely be one of the greatest challenges of my young professional career, I
feel prepared to handle this task after all I have learned her in Berklee Valencia. I will
also be using the skills I have developed here in order to bring in new clients into the
studio and produce quality records. I feel completely confident in my ability to do this.
Impact on Student Completing Work
This year has been difficult, yet rewarding. I can now say with confidence that I
am levels beyond the average music business entrepreneur skill and knowledge set and
I feel that I am prepared to enter into a highly responsible working position in the near
future. More than anything else, I feel more secure in my ability communicate business
and working matters on a personal basis and I feel more in control over my own
reactions to certain events. As we all know, in life, things never go as expected and
these are usually outside of one’s circle of influence. However, It is within one’s power
to retain dominion over one’s attitude and reactions to events that occur to the
individual. I feel as if though that throughout all the struggles I have experienced
throughout this year that I have grown to become a much more disciplined and
grounded individual. The result of what I have learned here has given me the
opportunity to become courted by a couple of well-known and reputable industry
names. For instance, I have received contact by music publishing giant BMG as well as
one of the four majors Sony Music. If things go well, I will be interning with one of
these companies in the fall, if not then I always have Cyber PR.
18
Conclusion
Overall, my experience here in Berklee Valencia has been one of the most
arduous and emotionally difficult one’s that I have faced in all my years. I feel
completely depleted, burnt out, and out of fuel to continue anymore of this without
some major reward or break. However, I feel as if though I have graduated from one of
the most intensive programs available to aspiring music businessmen like myself. I
have completely redefined my way of though and have an entirely new perspective on
life. All in all, I can say that my time here in Berklee Valencia was well. I would like to
thank the administrative staff and faculty on their support of the Global Entertainment
and Music Business Program and would like to extend my appreciation to all the
individuals that I have met along my path here in Berklee Valencia. I will truly miss all
of the friends and advisors I have met here and I plan on continuing Berklee’s legacy
outside of school and within my professional career. Thank you.
19
Appendices
“Long Was The Night,” available at: https://soundcloud.com/realavrelivs/sets/longwas-the-night/s-sStes
“Ides of April,” available at:
https://soundcloud.com/realavrelivs/sets/ides-of-april-1/s-2Ch0d
20
Media of
