I dO Music - This Thursday...

This is definitely one you don't want to miss!!!
If you came out last month, then you already know why you should be at Apache Cafe on this Thursday, April 2nd, for the next eddition of "I dO Music". This month we're bringing in some of the best Attorneys in the city to let you know how to structure your business to work with your music. In addition to a great panel, you can also expect performances from some of the most talented artists in Atlanta! See you this Thursday...I can't wait!

The Schedule
8p-8:30p
Open Networking & "Spotlight Interviews"

8:30p-9p
I dO BEATS - Play Snippets of Your best Beats!!(sign up @ 8pm)

9p-9:30p
I Freestyle - Spit Your Best 16 bars!!
(Only 5 spots---sign up at 8pm)

9:30p-11:00p
Performances on the best stage in the city!!

11:00p-12a
"Let's Talk Business" Panel

The Topic
Structuring Your Business to WERK with Your Music

The Panelists - 4 GREAT Entertainment Attorneys
**Bernie Lawrence-Watkins (Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford)
**Omara S. Harris ESQ (Various artists, producers, songwriters, publishers, and record labels)
**Jonathan E. Leonard (T.I.)

The Questions:

People often say as an Artist "You are the Business". If so, what are the steps I need to take to set my business up properly? ...and is this different for Producers?

What are some important legal things that I need to do from the start in order to protect my business, my brand, and my intellectual property?

As an indie artist or producer with little or no budget, how would you suggest that I obtain some type of legal counsel when confronted with different contracts? (i.e. management, production, etc.)

Is it true that Record labels can own my name when they sign m

e? How do I retain those rights?

Once and for all...Am I protected by the "Poor Man's Copyright" or is it a myth?

When working with producers should I file my own copyright or can we file together? If together/separate, which form do I use?

What other common legal issues should I keep an eye out for?

The Performers

Hustle Belvy

Erk The Jerk

Zue Cru

Adrift Da Bell

J Real

Red Maiden

The RPZ (The Replacementz)

Opportunity: The Hip Hop Music Channel

The dream of the late Shakir Stewart will be brought to life April 12th with the emergence of The Hip Hop Music Channel. Thanks to Stewart's childhood friend Shawn Granberry and movie producer Robert Watts III. The date serves as Stewart's birthday as well.

"The Hip Hop Music Channel is focused on becoming the number one distributor and marketer of hip hop culture in the world," Shawn Granberry, CEO of HHMC explained in a statement.

When HHMC launches in April it will be broadcast online traditionally in several countries including Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Thailand,Vietnam, and more. The network is focused on establishing a connect in the Asian Market.

Viewers will have the ability to choose up to 5 music videos daily from a list of 40,000. The selected vids will then play in the same order received.

Artist interested in showcasing their own works should visit www.hhmctv.com for details on submissions.


Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Some Great Resources!

Whether you are a Label, Music Publisher, Artist Manager, Attorney, Songwriter, Artist, Band or Composer in today's changing business climate, you know the value of placing your music into film, television and video games. In their 11th year of publication, the Film & Television Music Guide is a must-have resource for everyone looking to make their music work for them. The Film & Television Music Guide lists Record Label Soundtrack Coordinators, Music Publishers, Music Libraries, Film/TV Music Departments, Film/TV Trailer Houses, Music Supervisors, Music Placement Companies, Video Game Companies, Composers and Composer Agents, Orchestras, Music Editors, Score Mixers, Commercial Music Production, Music Clearance, Performing Rights Societies, Scoring Stages, Recording Studios, Music Preparation, Music Contractors, Music Payroll, Music Services and much more. The directory covers the US, Canada and UK markets and lists direct-dial phone and fax numbers as well as email and website addresses. This is the most comprehensive directory of its kind for the Film and Television Music Community. In addition to this publication here are some others that you should definitely consider putting on your shopping list...

The A&R Registry - updated every 8 weeks ...includes regional A&R contacts not listed in any other directory lists all major & indie labels in LA, NY, Nashville, London & Toronto... lists entire A&R staff, direct dial numbers & assistants names...

The Music Publisher Registry - updated throughout the year... lists all major publishers and significant independents in LA, NY, Nashville, London & Toronto... lists entire creative staff, direct dial numbers & assistants names...

Music Attorney, Legal and Business Affairs Guide - lists music business attorneys... record company legal & business affairs departments publishing company legal & business affairs departments film & TV music, legal & business affairs departments has an alphabetical index.

You can find these and many more on www.musicregistry.com




Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Talking To The Radio

There are thousands of radio stations in operation in the United States, programming in dozens of different formats. What exactly is your format? Maybe you don't like to categorize your music. "Its Feel Good Music!" That is fine and but don't look for radio play. What governs the choice of format? If you don't have the answer to this, you need to put your glasses on and understand what makes the radio maneuver. This in turn will tell you why creating a song today without fitting a format will garner you no airplay on national commercial radio.

Radio stations chase market share. That is a significant portion of the targeted audience. The larger the market share, the more money the station can charge for advertising. Arbitron, a firm that collects data using controlled samples of listeners, determines the portion of listeners who have their radios turned on at a given time. An Arbitron rating is the radio equivalent of Nielsen ratings.

Check out the following music formats that have proven to be the most commercially viable:

Commercial Hit Radio(also known as Contemporary Hit Radio and Top 40)
Rock
Classic Rock
Alternative Rock(also called Modern Rock and New Rock)
Adult Contemporary:
Adult Top 40
Adult Album Alternative
Soft AC and Easy Listening
Smooth Jazz
Country
Urban
Urban Adult Contemporary
Classical
Oldies
Pre Teen
Jazz
Nostalgia
Religious
International
Latin
Variety

Radio stations change formats quite frequently. Depending on changing market trends, the amount of competition from other stations, and the preferences of new owners. The names of formats change over time as well. Urban at one time was classified as Rhythm and Blues. Keep up to date by checking on Billboard, Radio and Records and other informal sites.

Remember the station formats and demographics will be your guide in choosing target stations for your music.


Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

The Labels Are Calling

Everyday I run into someone saying they love the music biz and would like the opportunity to land a job with a record company. Are you prepared to jump into shaky industry known to be very unstable? Realizing that you won't get rich working for a label but wanna meet some really cool people? Do you understand that if your not fast on your feet, hard working, entrepreneurial minded that the odds are stacked against you? Awesome lets go!

Labels are comprised into several parts- finance and business department, marketing(radio, publicity, Internet, product management), sales, A&R, and sometimes distribution. Many of these positions, you don't need a lot of industry experience. Don't get too excited because the higher the position the more knowledge and wisdom is required. Thus making your time in the business a prerequisite. Don't fret because I have a few suggestions that should lead to success.

Drum roll...Obtain an internship! Yes most likely will be unpaid but the network established is priceless. Labels are always looking for people to mail promo packages, do data entry, etc. No its not easy, but gives you the fundamentals needed to see how a label is run from the ground up. Branding your name is the business. Make that name for yourself, and when the assistant to head of Marketing leaves, you have a legitimate case that you have the experience to fill the position.

Another way to be ahead of the game is to learn as much about the industry as possible. The Internet is your one stop shop to basically anything you want to learn. Looking to become a product manager at a label? Start by managing a band so your can sharpen your skills. Want to become a promotion guru? Work at your college's radio station and learn the ends and outs of the business. This all will put you in line towards a job in the marketing department at a label. It can only better your situation by taking classes. You can enroll online and further your progression. A music business degree always helps.

Evaluate what is best for you and see it through. Just make sure your ready for the WERK!



Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

I dO MUSIC On The Scene: Senor Kaos & Rah Groove

It's impossible to attend I dO MUSIC and NOT meet someone who can further you career if MUSIC is indeed your passion. Every month new relationships are established and for moments like this reminds me of why we go so hard for all of you!



Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

What is a Press Kit?

So you want more info on Press Kits?


What Is a Press Kit: Band Management Tips -- powered by eHow.com


Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Your Console Needs an Upgrade!

As we are upgrading our studios, cars, houses, wardrobes and all the other material stuff we hold dear to our hearts, it is equally, (if not more) important for us to assess and upgrade the way we think. In a conversation with Leslie Brathwaite, who has won multiple Grammy Awards and is one of the many insightful and intelligent engineers at PatchWerk, he made it crystal clear that often times aspiring musicians and businessmen stand in the way of their own success by having this inferior mindset. He further lamented that this is one of the main obstacles faced by all people in the struggle. For example, a young aspiring promoter would generally be reluctant to request a mega-star such as T.I. or Jay-Z because in their minds they're thinking "I'll never get 'em" or "I won't be able to afford that artist!". These assumptions are the basis for a mentality that will only breed mediocrity. You see, in order to be the best you have to think, act, and only accept the best! Unfortunately many of our young rappers, singers, and promoters do exactly the opposite...they take what they can get. After all, that's what most of us were taught right? Well wake up and smell the Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies (wink), things done changed! Here are some great tips on how you can upgrade that console between your ears...

Principle # 1 - Aim to accomplish things that you think are out of your reach.
It's easy to aim for things you know you can achieve without much of a challenge. In other words, Go for Jay-Z and T.I. because getting them will be a REAL accomplishment for you. Striving for anything less than the best is never worth it! Great success come to those who set goals that forces them to stretch mentally (and sometimes even physically...lol) to achieve them.

Principle # 2 - Be a Mental Vegetarian!
If your goal is to become wealthy then why do you only pay attention to magazines like The Source, Vibe, and XXL?!?! It only makes sense that if your goal is to become wealthy then you should do things like watch the financial markets or pick up trade publications like Forbes Magazine, Money Magazine, or something that gives you some insight into how you can build wealth. The point is be careful what you feed your brain because as human beings, we are made up of all that we are influenced by. Point blank...If you do what you've always done, then you'll get what you've always gotten. Thus, it is wise to pay attention to the things you CAN'T relate to. Make friends out of those people you CAN'T relate to. Ready those books and magazines you CAN'T relate to...If you do that, you'll unlock the side of your character that you've been looking for all along.

Principle # 3 - Embrace change progress and new innovations
Nothing kills success like old thinking! Change is inevitable so don't fight it...make friends with it (lol). Just because you're used to doing something a certain way and that way works for you doesn't mean you should "get stuck" in that old way of thinking. Chances are someone is going to developer a better way to do what you've been doing...if that person is you, great! If not, then give their way a chance and you may see that it actually works better for you. This is especially important in the music business because most of our technologies are heavily influenced by innovation.

Principle # 4 - Focus on your strengths
Ok...I have some bad news for you...are you ready?? Here it is...YOU CANNOT DO IT ALL!!!!
Everyone has a specific set of skills that they naturally excel in. Pay attention to the things that you tend to do exceptionally well and start digging...Cultivate those talents until you're the greatest!! One the flip side, the worst thing you can do is focus on your weaknesses. Who cares that you're not really good at making beats! You may be great a writing songs...SO DO THAT INSTEAD!!! Bottom line, if everyone just did what they were made to do the world would actually be a much better place to live...lol.

Principle # 5 - If you don't compete than you can loose.
Change your concept of winning and you'll always win...because winning is relative. Live up to your own standard, not anyone else's. However don't strive to be second place either. You'll be number one if when you look in the mirror you can say "I did the absolute best that I can do!"




Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

What to Say When Russell Simmons Actually Takes Your Call...

If you're like most aspiring artist then you have probably called all the major record labels 10 zillion times, asking for the head of A&R or some other significant person at that label that you think would be willing to give you a shot if they only heard that "fire" single. Well aside from the fact that no one is going to just give you a hand out (that's a whole different conversation!), have you ever thought of what you're really going to say when that person actually takes your call? Many times, artists have so much of a hard time getting a hold of that person that it gets to the point where they don't even expect to get through anymore...that's a dangerous place to be! What if Russell actually says "helllo, how can I help you?"

Well the worst thing you can do is start to speak with a timid voice, stuttering harder than a tip drill, with no clear reason why you're calling. You'd have a better shot just hanging up out of sheer astonishment. No, but honestly, here are some things you should keep in mind if that rare opportunity ever comes...

Rule # 1 - Be Prepared!
Don't get caught off guard with nothing to say. Keep in mind exactly why your calling and what you want to accomplish. Even if this is your twenty seventh time calling you should act as if it's your first!

Rule # 2 - Keep it Simple!
Say as much as you can in the smallest amount of words possible. Make your statement, ask your question, and keep it moving. It doesn't really matter WHAT you say if it takes you 15 minutes to get it out...by that time the person on the other side has probably already stopped listening. After you say your name, it helps if the next sentence is some type of introduction you have memorized.

Rule # 3 - Engage Immediately!
Once you introduce yourself you have to find a way to engage this decision maker in conversation immediately. By conversation I mean they're talking too...don't be so anxious that you dominate the dialogue. However, more than likely if you aren''t direct with your request they will take your ambiguity as unimportance and stop listening immediately. It helps if you do some upfront research on the person or company and have some type of understanding of what they're currently looking for.

Rule # 4 - Don't Focus on Being Nice!
Being a nice person doesn't work on these types of calls. Instead, focus on being a business professional who has something valuable to say. In other words, being worth their time is what matters most.



Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Top 10 "Most Used" Protools Shortcuts

#1
Save (Cmnd + S) - Better safe than sorry -whenever you finish any idea worth saving, hit
Save.

#2
Toggle between mixer window and edit window (Cmnd + =) - This one's indispensable!

#3
Create a marker ("Enter" on the number pad) - Nothing will kill an artist's vibe like taking 10-minutes to find the bridge...you should make it a habit to mark the beginning and end of the most important parts of your song.

#4
Display marker window (Cmnd + 5 on the number pad) - Depending on the size of your session you may need to keep this window up

#5
Scroll horizontally with mouse wheel (Shift + scroll wheel) - By default the mouse wheel scrolls vertically however many times you'll need to scroll horizontally to see certain part of your session.

#6
Select edit modes (F1, F2, F3, F4) - Toggling manually between the Slip, Shuffle, Grid, and Spot functions will definitely steal some valuable time from your session.

#7
Select edit tools

• F5 (Zoomer)
• F6 (Trimmer)
• F7 (Selector)
• F8 (Grabber)
• F9 (Scrubber)
• F10 (Pencil)

#8
Select Super Tool (Press any two: F5, F6, F7) - This function is definitely one of the most useful. Like they say...once you go super...you never go back!

#9
Zoom Presets (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 above QWERTY keys)

#10
Zoom in-out hotkeys ('R' and 'T' with keyboard focus “a...z” enabled in toolbar)



Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

The Brand Master

Steve Stoute lives the life. He is a bridge between the corporate world while still keeping abreast of the latest "urban" trends, and getting businessmen to wheel off millions of dollars to spew ideas off the top of his head about how to sell things to teenagers.


He has started an ad agency called Translation Advertising. His partner is no other than Shawn Carter. The task at hand is to offer creative and entrepreneurial ideas. Simply sitting in a meeting room with business executives and making them feel cool enough to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Steve Stoute has managed to bring the hustle of a music manager into the corporate boardroom.

Translation has paired the likes of Gwen Stefani with Hewlett-Packard, Justin Timberlake with McDonalds, Beyonce Knowles with Tommy Hilfiger, and Jay-Z with Reebok. The Wrigley campaign has received the most attention. With remakes of the company jingle using R&B stars Chris Brown and Ne-Yo. The jingles were released as full songs amongst the public. It wasn't until a press release announced the ads featuring the songs that people became aware. Chris Brown rendition became a Top 10 hit and was nominated for MTV Video Music Awards Music Video of the Year. Unfortunately with Brown's situation the ads have been pulled.

In a interview with Billboard.biz, Stoute stated "I can identify what the artists' needs are, what the consumer groups are who buy the material and how the brand seeking to tap into the audience can use that partnership to create consideration for the product. The company's not driven by hooking up artists with brands. We're in the artist brand management business. It's about finding corporate partners and matching them with artists to tell their brand story. There has to be some mutual benefit. So it just can't be all about the brand saying, "I'm going to put artists with my brands and not care about the artist's pre-existing brand value."

Yes Steve Stoute is a branding expert. The next record you create could be the theme for a Fortune 500 Company. Think Big, Get Big.


Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

I dO Music Weekend - Photos!!

Music University 6 Photos! (Click Image Below)



(Pictured from Left to Right:
Shareef "Reef" DeLaCruz, DJ Black, Chaka Zulu, Rob Watson, Teddy Bishop)

On March 8th, 2009, PatchWerk Recording Studios presented and hosted its 6^th annual, Music University seminar. The seminar took place at PatchWerk’s Midtown, Atlanta address and featured a day’s worth of classes targeted towards eager-to-learn students, artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Thanks to all the panelists who came out!!

I dO Music Photos! (Click Image Below)

With help of Crown Royal and Hot 107.9, the crowd at Apache Cafe on Thursday, March 5th was RIDICULOUS!!! Everyone who attended had a blast "netwerking" with one another and enjoying an overall great music environment. Ozone Magazine held a mixtape contest for the night (Can't wait to find out who won!). We even had some special guest drop in...with Playboi Tre exclusively giving us a sneak peak into his new music. Then, Big Country of Grand Hustle graced the stage further adding to the excitement. Among some of the other acts that performed were, Khaos da Great, Twentyone, Marc Decocca, and the trendy hipster duo Prep School blessed us with their single their "new shoes". The panel of the night was WERKING SMART! New Media, Blogging, and other innovative strategies in reaching your core-audience! Our panel included the likes of Gyant (sohh.com), Tai St. Louis (All hip Hop), Chuck Woo (Earwax), Big Yusef (Digiwaxx), and Dres the Beatnik.


I dO Music "My Band Rocks!" - Photos! (Click Image Below)





















Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Call My Agent Please!

Booking your band is half the battle when you wanna get out on the road and let others hear your music.

Through your promotion campaign utilizing fliers, word of mouth, e-mail, social networking sites(Twitter,Facebook, etc) you will begin to draw more and more paying customers to your performances. The power of this promotion will gain you two strong points. Your showing the club that you are worth value-particularly money. As your show becomes bigger, you become a nice commodity for booking agents.

Booking agents simply secure live performances for clients. Nothing more and nothing less beside that 10% commission from paid shows that the agent secures for you. If your up and coming looking for an agent good luck. Your value to a club is sitting at zero which means in the agent's eyes no income to commission. The opposite of that is being a high commodity worth several hundred dollars per show which means there is income to commission. The possibility for an agent to increase that income could blossom with crafty negotiations. Excellent incentive for a booking agent to consider adding you to his roster.

It isn't hard to find a industry directory listing hundreds of booking agents, but the real quest is to find the ones who book the kind of venues you play and works with other artist compatible with your sound. The end result is the possibility of "packaging" a show fans would pay to see.

In most cases, finding the right agent is as simple as a telephone call. Most will ask you to send them a complete package including photo, bio, list of clubs you played at, and some of your music—a demo or finished CD. If they’re impressed, they will ask what it is you’re looking for and will then decide if you’re “worthy” of their time and effort.

Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!


If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

The Hottest Ticket In The World

Michael Jackson is one of the best to ever do it. Why? Selling out shows in London in a matter of hours is quite impressive.

Billboard reports that a total of 750,000 tickets have been sold, following the pre-sale opened to the public.
The average rate of a ticket was selling at 40,000 an hour when they became available to the general public at 7am GMT yesterday. Flocks of fans from around the word were buying tickets in person at the venue.

"We often talk about unprecedented demand, but this week we have witnessed a live entertainment phenomenon," said Chris Edmonds, managing director, Ticketmaster U.K., in a statement. "We have seen a truly amazing level of interest and demand for tickets from fans from across the world for the Michael Jackson shows at the O2 over the last three days. "This was undoubtedly the busiest demand for tickets for an event which we have ever experienced."

Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, added: "The last week has been the most astonishing I have seen in my career in the entertainment business."

Meanwhile, U.K. entertainment retailer HMV is reporting that sales of Michael Jackson's greatest hits album "King Of Pop" (Sony Music Entertainment) have shown a four-fold increase at HMV stores in the U.K. and Ireland and online following the announcement of his O2 concerts. Sales for "Thriller" (Legacy/Epic) are up by 80%.

Is he the greatest entertainer ever?


Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

SXSW Music & Media Conference

There is no excuses for not getting your network up this month. After bolstering your contacts from I dO MUSIC WEEKEND you should now be invading Austin, Texas this weekend. What do you know about The SXSW MUSIC AND MEDIA CONFERENCE? Kicking off March 18 through March 22nd they showcase hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. By day, conference registrants do business in the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center and partake of a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature. By night, the festival takes off with a plethora of music from across the world.

Austin's eclectic music scene goes back to early in the city's history (from Mexican, German and colonial origins) and encompasses a wide variety of music including country, folk, jazz, blues and rock.

The classic problem facing Austin musicians was being isolated from the rest of the world in the middle of Texas. SXSW was a way to reach out to the rest of the world, and bring them here to do business. To do that successfully, SXSW needed to appeal to people other than local artists whether they were from Austin, Ft. Worth, Chicago, Toronto, Munich or Tokyo.

National interest in SXSW was immediate. For years, music businesses on both coasts had been intrigued by what was going on in Austin. The cosmic cowboy, blues, punk and other scenes had already proven that Austin was a receptive place for bands to be creative. With SXSW, music industry executives gained a good excuse to visit.

International interest in SXSW began the second year due to many Austin and American bands finding their first success in Europe. Conversely, there was a lot of interest from SXSW registrants in the international bands who came to perform. SXSW now has offices in Ireland, Germany, Australia and Japan who help bring SXSW registrants to Austin.

The music event has grown from 700 registrants in 1987 to nearly 12,000 registrants. As Austin has grown and diversified, film companies and high-tech companies have played a major role in the Austin and the Texas economies. In 1994, SXSW added a film and interactive component to accommodate these growth industries. SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive events attract approximately 11,000 registrants to Austin every March.

SXSW's original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the Internet. And Austin continues to be the perfect location.

For a look at the schedule and events check out the official website, SXSW.

Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!

If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"

Who’s in PatchWerk Studios?

In Studio 9000

Singer, songwriter and record producer, Sean Garrett was in the studio with producer Shondrae “Bangladesh” Crawford, working on music for Amerie. The Sessions were tracked by Garrett’s engineer Miles Walker and assisted by PatchWerk engineer Mike “Snotty” Miller.

Rick Ross ‘ second album Trilla was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. His next album is to be titled Deeper Than Rap. Part of this album should be credited towards PatchWerk studios as he had songs mixed by Leslie Brathwaite and assistant Mike Pratt in the A Room at PatchWerk Studios.

Bow Wow is currently working on his sixth solo studio album, New Jack City II. The album is scheduled for release on March 31, 2009. Bow Wow had a session at PatchWerk this past February. Production was in part by Smash Factory and mixing was done by Leslie Brathwaite assisted by Mike Pratt.

K Michelle was in the studio with producer Drumma Boy getting songs mixed by Leslie Brathwaite and assistant Mike Pratt as well.

Other sessions in 995 included those for Trey Songz and P-Facts.

In Studio 995

Tiffany Evans was hard at work at PatchWerk on her second album, "Ponytail Krush", slated for release in early 2009. Sixteen year old Evans describes this release as a coming of age project, which she calls an “emancipating experience.” “When I sat down with my manager and the record label, I told them I did not want to be limited in the type of songs I recorded this time around. I want to make music for every one. I describe this album like turning a radio dial and no matter what type of music the station plays, you can find a Tiffany Evans record on the playlist.”

R Kelly plans to release his newest album titled 12 Play: Fourth Quarter in the summer of the year but the album has been postponed. Though the album still has no official release date and Kelly has not released an album, he has kept busy in the studio. This past January and February he was hard at work having a majority of his album tracked and mixed at PatchWerk studios. All Kelly’s session’s were recorded and mixed by his staff engineers Ian and Abel, assisted by PatchWerk engineers Mike “Snotty” Miller and Dee Brown.

Other sessions in 995 included those for 1969 Recordings, Ace Boon Coon, Rico Law, Muffy, Miss B., Mikkey, Black, the Phenoms, Kook Up Gang, Bro Dash and Sliq B.

Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!




If You Enjoyed This Article Click Here to Subscribe


I dO Music!
"Empowering Musicians Worldwide"