Mix assignment

https://soundcloud.com/robyn-c-williams/mix-assignment

Songs for tempo / Dynamic worksheet

Track 2:
I used the tempo tapper to find out the tempo for track 2 - the tempo i got was 105. The tempo does change later in the piece. at 1:03 the tempo increases. I used the tempo tapper again and found that the new tempo was 122. The Italian tempo marking equivalent would be Lento in the beginning. Then at 1:03 the theoretical score could be marked as Vivace.

A reason for using Italian tempo markings would be for classical music such as string quartets/ operas ect. However, for new genres such as pop/rock there would be a bpm. This is due to the fact that older genres were founded by Italians as most of the composers were Italian - therefore articulation was in Italian. However, new genres of music are spread around the world - therefore there needs to be tempo markings lots of people can understand.

Its very common to see phrase marks in music for strings as the layout of the instruments usually entails phrase marks - as the way one plays the instrument. For example - violins use bows and play across numerous strings. The same principle goes for guitarists - however they use a plectrum.  

Roles and contracts

Roles in the live performance industry.
CONTRACTS:
How flexible is the contract?
What if I want to get out of it?
Will it protect me?
What guarantees will it offer?
How will I be paid? Pros/Cons etc

Artist :

The artist, depending on whether they are signed to a label of not, have varying hours. If the artist is freelance they may be working a day job in order to bring in extra income. However, in their breaks they would most likely be practising and writting new material. Their working environment would usually be inside - for example practising at home, in a studio or performing at a gig. Also, an artist may be collaborating with their manager to schedule out their daily duties - ranging from photo shoots to tours.

Being an artist, in my opinion, provides great satisfaction as they are involved in a lot of the work needed to be done in producing a song. They write the lyrics, usually compose the music and perform the songs they make. Therefore, they get the most credit for the work that is produced under their name.

The skills and education that may be required from an artist could be; experience performing live, vocal and instrumental lessons, dedication to their work and possibly gcse's in english or music. However. i believe that that would just be beneficial for the artist as it would better them as an artist.

An artist, during their career would end up signing a few contracts. One may be a publishing contract with a publisher. The publisher is assigned the copyright of the material produced by the artist and distributes it into the media (film, radio). The publisher also collects royalties (ppl) for the artist by tracking when the material is used commercially. In return, the publishing company get 50% of the songs earnings while the artist gets the other half. This is a big percentage out of the earnings made - therefore, as a freelance artist it may be a good idea to keep track of your own royalties. However, that is easier said than done as the business side of music is very complex. This contract, on average lasts for 10 years. Considering this, it is not a flexible contract. However, publishers do guarantee connections within the industry and promotion of an artists work, to the best of the publishers ability. Another contract an artist may have to sign is a 360 record deal with a record company. This deal means that the record company fund the artist in whatever way they see fit - recording studios, promotion, touring and marketing. However, in return the artist must give the record company a set percentage of all of their income (merchandise,ticket and record sales). The percentage of which can be negotiated between the artist and record label. Although the label is getting more out of their artist than a traditional record deal, i believe this deal is more secure as the label will be recouping the money they invested quicker and the chances of the artist going into debt are slimmer. Also, the record company take more of an interest in promoting their artist in order to increase their sales. Any publicity is good publicity - and as an artist, having a major label forwarding their name will benefit their career profoundly. This contract term varies - some may be signed from a couple of years to a couple of decades. It is in the labels interest to get the longest term as there is longer to recoupe the allowance and make a profit of of the artist. Record deals are one of most flexible as the agreements are negotiated between the label and artist. Although it is easy to terminate a contract - it comes with consequences - one being the rights of the artists music still being with label.
Both a Publishing and Record deal contracts protect the artist and their music as both companies own part of the rights. Therefore, they are more inclined to make sure nobody steals it. Also, the payment methods are simple and are calculated for the artist. 

Depending on the type of artist - there are different ways they are paid. An artist who is freelance would make their income from their record, merchandise and ticket sales. Depending on whether they have signed to a publisher or label, varies their method of payment. An artist signed to a label would firstly be living off their allowance (what ever they are signed for, eg 200,000). However, until they have paid the label back that money through sales of their material, they will not get any income of their sales.

Overall, i believe that being an artist is an exciting job as it is very creative and usually very flexible. It also allows a lot of travel. However, this job is very risky as it could take a long time to break into the industry and make an income of it. Also, the contracts that an artist sign during their career could lead them to losing their works and/or money.

Artist manager:

The artists manager would not get paid until the artist does. This could be the reason why some people do not write up a written contract. However, it is a good idea to, as along the lines either the artist or manager could forget what they require of eachother. A managers contract term is usually negotiated between the artist and manager - it is usually for a couple of years. However, another contract type could be a tester - in order for the artist to decide wether to hire the manager. This contract usually lasts for a couple of months and it has 1 or 2 goals the manager needs to do (eg book and plan an event). Manager contracts are very flexible as there arent many set agreements - the manager can alter the contract and compromise with the artist. However, there arent any main guarantees a manager can expect except for the artist to be on board and helpful. The managers salary is a percentage deducted from the artists gross income. The usual percentage that artist managers get from the artists income is from 10-20% , this percentage can be negotiated between the two. These terms, alongside; the duration of time the manger would be working for the artist, the manager and artist's obligations and the termination of the contract - are in a contract written up between the the artist and manager.

Managers working hours and environment would vary depending on the schedule of the artist.Overall, i believe managers are the most busy as they need to be constantly ahead of the artist in order to guide their career and be successful in their job. Managers would be at radio stations, studios, record companies, gigs, publishing companies and on the road with the artist if they were touring. The manager and artist are usually together most of the time.

The satisfaction that comes with this job, in my opinion, is vast. Managers spend a lot of their time meeting new people in order to promote their artist. Theyre working hours, like an artist - are usually flexible as they would be busy at different times of the day, every day. However, managers are usually not commercially recognised. On the other hand, in the industry, they play a big part as they are the ones who do most of the networking.

The skills needed to do be a successful producer would be negotiating, networking, planning and overall having a professional attitude. Although, the role of being a manager usually involves personal encounters (networking in order to promote the artist) - one needs to be able to set goals to achieve at the end of the meetings. A manager also needs to have a good temperment as they will be spending a lot of time, working closely, with the artist. Education that may be required would be a degree in buisness or law. This is proof, for the people who hire a manager, that they understand the law and would be of use to the artist when they are signing contracts. Also, when they are producing their material, as the manager can then advise them on copyright laws, and ensure that the artist wont lose rights to their music. 

The only major risk for an artist manager, is if the artist doesnt make an income. Therefore, neither does the manager. However, due to this fact, it would encourage the manager to work harder and make their artist successful.

Overall, i believe that being an artist manager is too much work for one person. Also, not only do they have to lookout for themselves - but they carry a lot of responsibility for the career of the artist. However, artist managers are always very busy and their working environment varies dramatically. 

A + R:

A + R's are found at live events, as this is where they scout for artists for the record company their work for. They also spend a lot of time working in a office. Therefore, their working hours are irregular as they would be in an office during the week and at gigs on the weekend.

Depending on where they are situated in the world, experience and company they work for - A + R's are paid different salaries. These salaries are usually paid yearly.

A + R's job include going to local shows to find under the radar talent. They also listen to bands demos and arrange auditions for those whos demos impressed them. A + R's also study artists - they check their websites to see their fanbase in order to determine whether they are worth representing to the label as if they do not make profit for the label, it is on their track record. Whilst working in their office, they may research artists who are near terminating contracts with other labels.

The skills needed to become a successfull A + R representative would be negotiation, business, networking and interpersonal communication skills. Some record labels would expect a bachelor's degree in music and communications. This would make the A + R rep more efficient at their job as; they would be able to judge music quality better and would also be able to communicate terms with artists and be able to represent their company well. Also, A + Rs need experience in the industry - therefore most start out as a runner.

The satisfaction of this job, in my opinion - is average. An A + R, like a manager has a lot of responsibility. However, unlike a manager - if the artist doesnt live up to their expectations they will ruin their track record, lose money and possibly lose their job as the artists success cannot be altered by them. On the other hand, this job enables one to meet a lot of people in the industry and further experience and enable one to move easily to another job in the industry. A + R reps get a lot of credit for the work they do. This is shown by the record company giving them bonuses if the artists they forward have a lot of success.

Overall, i believe being an A + R  is a very rewarding job - as even the preparation for becoming one could lead one into many areas of the industry. Also, it allows one to go to many live events and travel a lot. However, ones credibility could be lost through one bad decision to forward an artist that is unsuccessful.