Yes…I did not post in the month of July. Problems with Wordpress. I am just not learning that sometimes things are not my fault. But, if a person really wants to get something done, and done correctly, whose fault it is has no weight. Who Cares. A very close friend (Casey Iorg, 24 and single in Washington D.C.) of mine says it this way. “No matter what happens, at the end of the day, YOU are still responsible for your production. So find a way to get it done!”

Thanks for your patience. See You Soon.

I just wanted to write a quick note to mention that I am having some trouble getting the next post up. My blogging software won’t let me post more than 37 words; it just cuts it off. Crazy I know. With that said, I am working to try and get it posted and will do so as soon as possible, ASAP!

Jonathan Harms

I would like to point out that an a&r guy doesn’t always sit around on the couch in his office looking for brand new music to sign to a deal. In fact, I would even say that the majority of his time, is spent working with the artists that are already on his roster. Even deeper, the label guys whose only responsibility is a&r, is a very small community. Think about the fact that there are only four majors now. Often times the same a&r guy will perform his duties for several imprints under the same music company. Think about Geffen/A&M/Interscope. It’s all about branding. A hip/hop act won’t be branded as well on Interscope (traditionally rock & roll) as it would be on Geffen. Take Avery Lipman for example, he signed rock act Godsmack to Universal Republic and hip-hop artist Chamillionaire to Universal Motown.

Back to label guys doing only a&r though…that only works for the companies that can afford to have a guy or more, just doing that. Indie labels that are only working with 3 or 5 artists are rarely looking for new acts to sign, and when they do, it is a collective and calculated effort to get the band on board. Case in point. I know of a band that got an indie deal a certain amount of time back, they are now enjoying a nice buzz in L.A. Another band got a major deal. Both of the records had about the same recording schedule, but the one signed to the major hasn’t even gotten their record released yet!

So I’ll say it again. a&r is just an extension of what you are already doing—deciding why you like a certain project and figuring out what you might like to do differently in order to make it better.

Who have you discovered lately?

Hello. Welcome to a&r Notes.com. It is all of my pleasure to be here with you. I do indeed hope that the conversations we will have can add to a quality of life for each who is involved. I believe in working together, not keeping your knowledge and ideas secret in order to keep the next guy out. I’ve been that next guy kept out; and I have come to find that it is certainly an advantage to work together, it’s always been that way, and it will continue to be that way.  So let’s kick it.

What are some of the things you want to learn about a&r?