Mac Nitti's Corner
Thanks for checking out the Corner and another edition of Up & Rising Magazine. I trust everyone is having a productive beginning of the New Year. Anyone that knows me knows that February is one of my favorite months. Its Black History Month and I LOVE Black History. It forces people to recognize Black History and it also has a way of making it so that someone learns something new.
Today I would like to focus on some advice to the independent artists. The more I think about it, this advice can be applied to the models out there as well. I have seen many artists walk into my studio or any studio ready to pay me a certain amount to record a certain amount of songs or do a particular job and end up owing much more than they planned or budgeted to spend. One of the main reasons for this is because the artist was not prepared.
If you know studio time is going to cost you X amount of dollars per hour, or even if you are paying a straight session fee, it is wise to plan at least a week in advance what you want to have accomplished by the time you leave the studio. Get a notepad, a post-it note, your tablet, or the note book on your phone and list out everything you want to have done. Don’t wait to get to the studio before you start deciding what you want done. Capitalize on every minute you get in the studio by being prepared BEFORE you get there. This includes rehearsing your songs. Sure there aren’t going to be too many people that can go in the booth and lay a song down without making mistakes, but if you’re familiar with the song before you get to the studio, this will save you a lot of time and tons of money.
Also, even though I don’t understand nor do I REALL believe it, but I do know that there are many people that feel like they can’t be 100% until they smoke a blunt. Whatever. But if you are one of these people, don’t wait till you get to the studio to burn one. Don’t have the producer and engineer waiting for you to take a weed break. The last thing you want to do is have a studio crew who has run out of patience with you; regardless if they’re getting paid while you break. Time is money. Remember that. It goes for the producers and engineers as well as for you. Don’t waste your’re money. I don’t care how “paid” you are, no one has money to waste.
If you’re a model, this advice goes to you too. Be prepared and you’ll be perceived as professional. Believe that.
Now go get that paper!
-Mac