Capture Your Spirit, Keep Your Soul
Tales of triumph from a Web-based, self-starting musician
by Scooter Scudieri
November 7, 2000
'These children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultation. They're quite aware of what they're going through.' -- David Bowie
My name is Scooter Scudieri. I am a soldier on the front lines of a music revolution. I am a singer/songwriter who struggled with the outdated concepts of the recording industry for ten years before deciding to take control of my life. Thanks to the Internet, I am now sharing my music with the world.
"Getting signed" has been a preoccupation of most young musicians (me included) since the days we were playing air guitar on our bunk beds. Many of us knew that we could make it in the music business ... until the harsh reality of just keeping a band together kicked in. Suddenly we weren't just playing music anymore: We were dealing with conflicting schedules, grueling day jobs, and eccentric personalities. Our efforts to play gigs were put to the test by shady booking agents and club owners. Everyone had their advice and their agenda.
Those lucky (or unlucky) enough to get signed by a record company realized the fight had just begun. We signed horrible deals, even giving away our rights to gain access to a public they controlled. We compromised the integrity of our music. We learned that all our advance money is recoupable at a minuscule percentage of album sales. We found ourselves in debt, and perhaps the one guy in the company who loved our music no longer worked there.
I don't wish to bash all record companies. Many work hard at keeping their artists happy and motivated to create incredible music. Many have introduced us to phenomenal bands. I'm sure that daring new companies will emerge that give artists more money and freedom than ever before. But record labels represent an outdated business model. In a world of total connectivity, they're losing control of their distribution. Artists and fans can meet in cyberspace and do business directly. So why hand your career over to someone else, when you can do it all yourself?
I have fought hard against the recording industry's maze of blip screens, sound bites, and filler. I have come up swinging my own way. I am seeing my dream of making music for a living come true. Why? Because of the support of family and friends, who can see you through the toughest times.
And then there's the Internet. The Internet is the equalizer. We, as musicians, are pioneers of the Internet. Because of its power to connect people, I see the future of the music business shifting back to a forgotten truth: Good music (to someone's ears) sells. Let the audience decide!
We're going to see the resurgence of music scenes on a local and regional level. By reconsidering their dream of getting signed on a national level, musicians can really make a living if they use the Internet to their advantage. The Internet provides a direct link to fans and a unique network of musician-friendly sites to help promote and establish a real presence on a brand new scene. Never before have bands been able to instantly connect with so many people.
A new breed of musician is rising to the challenge of delivering musical expression -- without compromising the quality or integrity of their work -- directly to the public. I am one of those musicians.
Not everyone wants to be in that much control. But for the true fighters out there, the ones who want to change their worlds, let me pass along some liberating knowledge.
Portrait of a Musical Revolutionary
'The times, they are a'changin'' -- Bob Dylan
On the strength of my music alone, I worked relentlessly for a year, raised $50,000 through private investors, and released my debut album Ancient Rituals on my own label. I own the copyrights to my songs. I own the distribution rights. I have total control of my career. Scary? Yes! Liberating? Absolutely!
All the promotion for my CD is done on the Internet. My disc is available through Amazon.com, The Orchard.com, LoudEnergy.com, MP3.com, and Napster. MP3 downloads and RealAudio clips are incredible exposure for new artists.
I'm also staging musical "events" in my area and in New York City by utilizing my ever-increasing fan email list. I hand out 75 to 100 free tapes at my shows. I have a radio/Internet promotion set for September (fall semester) that includes 60 stations. Online pirate radio!
I've also recently been on NPR's acclaimed Mountain Stage radio show. I've opened for the Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, and NRBQ. I've done as much legwork as a full-time manager and booking agent combined. I have done all of this on my computer from an 8' x 10' room of my house in West Virginia.
Whoa! How is this possible? Won't people download and listen to free music with no intention of ever paying? Let the record companies freak out about that. I'm happy. People will also send that music all over the world to their friends, and they'll buy it if they know it will help support an artist they love. I don't have to sell 1,000,000 copies of my CD to make a living. I need to sell 10,000. With the Internet, I just might sell a million anyway.
Next Page: Fan Financing for Studio Projects....
Scooter Scudieri has been writing and performing music since the age of 12.
He lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia with his wife Kelly, two dogs, and
a baby on the way.
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