Q&A I did for a college kid majoring in music

Q&A I did for a college kid majoring in music

1. What do you like the most and the least, about what you do?
The most - I like to  achieve goals I make for myself
The least - When I come across self-centered people 

2.What about the Music Industry most appeals to you right now and why?
Potential - The biz can be what you make of it. It's full of opportunities. 
But you need to not only find, but create opprtunities.

3. Is your job a life-long career or a stepping stone to other paths?
After 25 years, I would have to say it's a life-long thing for me.

4.What difficulties do you run into with, the other band members abilities in scheduling gigs? - their vacations, work or family time....etc?
We have to make a pack that in the end this is OUR business and approaching it in lazy convenient way only hurts us all and
hurts the business. If you want a band to replace a day job, then the responsibilities associated with that must be respected as
if you had a day job. If you put more respect and time into a day job, then that's where you will be. If you will put more effort and respect
towards your business, then in time you should be able to create something. 

5. How do you resolve conflicts and keep the band together and focused?
Create goals and stick to the game plan. When someone isn't on the same page of something we agreed we would be
working towards, then everyone else will tell the person to get on the same page. Each year we discuss our goals for the year.
We make small, medium and large goals and how we will work towards those. We also make sure we have realistic goals.

6. How much practice time is required and how far out is it scheduled?
We practice in the winter more than the summer. We build up a catalog to choose from and then get into gig mode and execute.

7. Who would you consider is your biggest influence in music?
Hmm.. to me that's a multi-part question. 
In terms of music itself, I love Def Leppard (arena rock) and Rick Springfield (good pop songwriter)
In terms of music business I like Gene Simmons of Kiss on well he "brands" his band.
In terms of songwriting I like Diane Warren
In terms of Producing I like Mutt Lange
In terms of Business (not music, but business is related to music) I like Steve Jobs of Apple.

8. When did you know this was the career you wanted to pursue?
In 1984 when I was 14. But I admired music since I was 2 and wanted to play guitar since 7 or 8 years old. 

9. What do you think the biggest change your band has experienced and how that impacted it in a positive or negative way.
Learning how to grow the brand faster and faster. Sticking to a game plan has helped us thru rough times. 
Communication is critical to anything that has a group of people working for one common task. 

10. How do you deal with each band members commitment and each one doing "their fair share"? 
(Do some have more responsibilities than others and are they compensated appropriately?)
I handle all business for 7th heaven. I am a control freak, because I know how I want something done and I will
make the sacrifices that others would not make. All I ask of my band and crew is show up with a positive attitude and
do your job. Be on time. Know your parts. The band is only as good as it's weakest member.. so let's not have a weakness. 
A good team hides weakness's and exemplifies strengths. 

11. Did it take much trial and error, determining the instruments and equipment that worked out best for you and the band?
Not really. As a writer I like to write a lot of parts. I wish we could have 12-20 people on stage to play all the parts, but we can't.
We'll use a sequencer on songs that need more parts than we can humanly perform. (about 1/2 - 2/3 of our show)

12. How many hours a week, do you spend on all the related facets of your profession?
60-80 hours a week on average. More when we are doing a CD, video or booking.

13. What advice would you give to other bands starting out?
Make realistic goals. Don't be lazy. Put forth a effort. Understand no one will ever care more about your band/business
than you will, so don't wait around for the band ferry to come out and make your band/brand a product that people want
to buy into. Make friendships with people as you will need them to help you in various ways along your path.
Leave the ego at home. Be a team player in the business you are involved with.


Richie - 7th heaven

Things

So I have been crazy busy this past 2 weeks in the studio working on a bunch of new things.. I can't wait to get it al done and share it with the world.

Lenny & I met with a major promoter last week, hopefully something comes of that. Lenny works with me at NTD Records and NTD Management.

Did you buy Apple stock? It's over $205 now... and growing... I estimate it to hit 250 by Jan 2010.

I heard Grape Pop Tarts are coming back!!!! Vanilla Flavored Cookie Crisp is back and now Grape Pop Tarts.. I'm in 7th heaven...

Wait.. I really am in 7th heaven

Ok, back to work

Richie

Buy Apple Stock

Buy Apple Stock... trust me on this
back in june i said to do this and it was $130
it closed today at $175
it is on track to get to $250
this stock is a solid buy

VMA's

So I didn't even watch this year MTV Music awards shows, a.k.a. "VMA's", but my inbox blew up over how rude Kanye West was to Taylor Swift. ( http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621406/20090913/knowles_beyonce.jhtml )
I can't believe how rude this guy is. Everyone has a opinion, but in this case Kanye needs to learn to keep his opinion to himself. This was Taylor Swfit's moment to take it all in and that jerk stole it from her to serve his overblown ego.

I think the same people who brought this guy up should take him back down to earth a little. Don't buy his CD's, don't support his music.

It's bad enough that we live in a world where leaders of countries go to war. Where people fight over religion. And we have a form of entertainment, which is suppose to give us a form of escapism and be a positive influence. When I see egos and greed enter the music business it makes me so angry. Would Kanye be this kind of jerk if he was homeless and broke trying to get someone to hear his demo tape? I bet not. So when you're rich and famous remember the frame of mind of being humble. There's no need for jealousy of others, or who others have voted their favorite.

Every major artists in the history of music has had their 15 mins. of fame. Some longer. But when it's someone else's moment, then leave it be.

Don't support jerks.
Congrats Taylor Swift, I don't know you, but I respect your professionalism.

Richie - 7th heaven

One of those nights.....

Thanks to all the great support you have shown us this summer! Each night we see more and more 7th heaven shirts in the crowd. We see more and more mouths singing with us OUR songs of our "U.S.A.-U.K." CD! Each night we share a great time with YOU! It is such a great thing... for all of us to share in a moment.. a song.. a feeling.. a expression... the power of music!

Tonight, at Schaumburg's fest, I felt a connection with 30,000+ people... the set was right.. the mix was right... the energy was right! Such a great thing to experience.

For those who saw us at Schaumburg's Septemberfest experienced with us "one of those nights"... one to be remembered!

Until the next show...
Richie

THIS SUMMER'S GONNA LAST FOREVER

As this summer is progressing, with show after show, it has been great to connect over and over with some of the same fans. As I had been absent for some time from the band's activities, seeing everyone again has been a real pleasure. For some who don't know me, I'm the guy walking around the stage with the cane. I'm Tony LaBarbera and I have been involved with 7th Heaven for every one of it's almost 25 years. I met Richie, and Mike when they were 14 and just stepping on stage for the first time at The Thirsty Whale. It's been one of the absolute joys of my life to see the band progress. I've know Nick for almost as long. I am getting more and more involved in the business side of things with Richie handling the promotions and personal management. It's not a picnic playing as many dates as we do and trying to keep personal relationships from fraying. 7th Heaven is really like a well oiled machine. There is a whole team around this band. While the members of the band who are on stage are the ones getting your adjulation, realize that there are another dozen our so people who are an equally important reason why the performance and presentaion are so enjoyable. So next time you are at a show, and you hear Keith say something like "take it away Dino", understand he means Dino Manzella the bands hard working sound engineer. Or if he says something about the great stage crew who just moved the bands equipment twice that day, and 7 times this week, give them the respect they deserve. Believe me, the band is the first to appreciate their efforts. Sometimes they don't actually say it enough, but Joe, John, and Ryan rock! If you are ever there for one of our night time shows, chances are that I will be behind the light board orchestrating the light show. Stop by and say Hi! There are so many new faces around that I haven't been able to meet everyone yet. If you are at the merch table say Hi to Lisa, Tina, Alan , or Mr. Hoffer who are as dedicated to this band as it gets.

I hope everyone saw the August issue of the Illinois Entertainer. The back cover was a first for the paper. 7th Heaven was front and center with their version of the back cover. Made to be a mock up of the front cover, complete with the Illinois Entertainer logo and everything, it's the first time in 34 years that something like that has been allowed. It's very cool, and we'll settle for this until we are on the front cover heralding or huge record setting recording contract, (one can only dream.)

As summer does wind down it will be a time for everyone to get a little rest, and then regroup. When we said Summer's Gonna Last Forever - we meant it, because "it 's gonna be the time of our lives." Hopefully we helped to make it be that way for you also.

Onward & Upward, Tony Shark

Sweet & Sour

Well this past weekend was interesting. In the middle of the show Thursday at Elk Grove I started to feel really tired and weak. This carried thru till Sunday. I briefly felt better on Saturday night at Brewfest, but it wasn't until today that I felt normal again. I have no clue what it was. I thought maybe a appendicitis, but any pains I had was on the wrong side. Then maybe a ulcer, but I guess not... then maybe the flu, but then again I never had the flu and I didn't have any symptoms other than tired and aches. So who knows what it was. I wonder if it was weather related.. for some reason the weather REALLY affects me... on sunny days I have the energy to stay awake and work extremely fast.. on rainy days I loose energy quickly.

So just in case you came to a show over the past weekend, thats what was going on with me.

I even tried to stay away from the band in case I was sick.. no need to take the whole gang down.

On a brighter side, General Mills FINALLY released Vanilla Flavored Cookie Crisp Cereal!!!! I have been asking them for 30 years now to re-release that. Do you know what it's like to wait 30 years for something and then get it?? It's amazing!!! Try that cereal... it's awesome!!!

Also - buy AAPL (apple stock)

Richie