The analogy, “it takes a village” is generally applied to
raising children. But it can also be
applied to nurturing talent. It takes a
network to grasp raw musical talent and mold it into star power.
In Nashville, emerging artists are routinely “adopted” by a
network of industry professionals. Newbies
to Nashville can get professional advice via the website Music Starts Here, an online resource
for new Nashville songwriters and musicians. Beginning songwriters can attend sessions at Nan Cassidy’s Tunesmith, and more experienced writers can attend pro
classes from hit songwriters at the Nashville Songwriters Association
International (NSAI).
“It is easier to build relationships in Nashville than in
other entertainment towns like New York or Los Angeles,” says Vinny Ribas of Indie Connect. “Experts and professionals are very willing to
share their knowledge and expertise.
Many were calling me, asking how they could participate in our program. This doesn’t happen in New York!”
Indie Connect is an organization that assists up-and-coming
artists, songwriters, and musicians from all musical genres. The organization
sponsors music business education and provides members with the tools,
resources and people they need to be successful. (per Vinny's LinkedIn page)
“Our artists run the gamut,” continues Ribas. “Not only do we work with emerging artists,
but classic artists looking to change direction, instrumentalist with TV and
film potential, Christian artists, and more.
They all need to know how to navigate a changing music industry.”
I had the opportunity to speak at one of Vinny’s seminars
and was able to network with a dedicated and talented group of musicians,
interested in pitching their music to television. I was impressed with the caliber and diversity
of the talent pool on Vinny’s membership roll.
I was also impressed with their willingness to take direction and make
necessary changes to assure that their submissions were “television ready.”
“They listen," Vinny explains. "They
study the specifics of writing for film and TV.
The successful writers, like Leonard
Wolf and Dan Tracey know the importance of building relationships within
the film community. “
The opportunities to build those relationships abound in the
music city and artists taking advantage of those opportunities are just one
step closer to meeting their goals.
BTW, here’s a link to my Indie Connect seminar, How
to Get Your Music Into Film and TV.
