Why in the World Would You Want to Start a Band?

Who is this book for? In my forty-plus years working in and around music, I’ve been fortunate to see the music industry from many different perspectives. With this experience, I have created a simple, easy to read book with some solid advice and tools that will help you reach your idea of success and give you the confidence needed to make well-informed decisions. This book is for budding musicians and songwriters who are considering a career in music and it covers some of the basic fundamentals needed in order to work in the music industry at any level. I have created a guide that is not intended to be a complete study of the music business, but rather a portal for the novice musician just starting their first group and the possibilities of where to start their journey. Even veteran musicians might find inspiration throughout this book that will help them on their own journey to jump-start a sluggish career. But you don’t have to be a musician to enjoy this book either This book is also for people who live with and love musicians too. If you have a musician in your life, you might find some of this information helpful in understanding your loved one’s passion and gain more insight on how the music business operates. Enclosed are some basic methods that have served the thousands of musicians before you. You will learn: • How to organize your practice and rehearsal sessions for optimum productivity • Ideas for booking gigs and creating a promotional package that will get attention • Things you should research and learn through experimentation in order to find what works for you. • Basic information needed in order to have a fun, creative and successful experience in music.

About the author I was born into music My father was a working musician and songwriter. He performed live and recorded professionally on lap and pedal steel for many years. He worked with some notable artists and without a doubt has been one of my strongest influences. I discovered AM radio as a young boy and music became very personal to me. That’s when I fell in love with it! I began buying records and became a very serious collector. Many of the records that I was interested in were conceptual in nature where art, music, and poetry all collided. I would study the liner notes on every album cover and pour over the artwork and graphics. In my early teens I began to experiment with drums and harmonica as well as various stringed instruments. I eventually chose the guitar as my main instrument and have played professionally since 1973. I’ve also had many jobs working within the music industry. I worked at a music store and a record pressing plant back when vinyl was still the main medium for recorded music. I eventually went to work for Capitol Records at the Hollywood tower. This was a great learning experience as I was able to see how the big guys operated from the inside. I gained so much insight and experience from these jobs which was crucial for the success of my own record companies and bands. I eventually went into record retail and managed several stores for Wherehouse Records in Southern California. I later studied guitar, music theory, and took some vocal classes. For the first fifteen years of my musical career I was purely a sideman and wasn’t very interested in singing or writing yet. During the 1980s I worked with Don Harrison (Atlantic/Mercury) and RB Greaves (“Take a Letter Maria”) among other talented songwriters. It was a great opportunity to see how these guys approached the craft of writing songs and more importantly, how they handled their position as band leaders. I soon met singer-songwriter Billy Kent and we co-wrote and recorded several songs together over the years. This important experience got me thinking more about my own songwriting future. I had always written poetry and short stories, but songs were harder for me at first. Then, almost like a light switch flipping on, I began to write at a profound rate and started playing my songs at open mic nights. Later, I formed the Rhythm Lords creating an image and musical direction for the band. My first record company was Rebecca Records which produced four commercial releases with the Rhythm Lords. This opened the doors to touring throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1992, I created my publishing company, Elad Music, and joined ASCAP which led to my music being placed in TV and movies. I decided to go solo in 1999 with my début CD, “Full Circle”. My current record company, Root 66 Recording Co. released “Bandera” and “Son of Harry”. Then I recorded and released “Time Machine” with the band, Trouble No More. I am truly grateful for the experiences I have had during my long journey playing music. It has been a great opportunity and honor for me to work in so many different aspect of the music business. I have always felt that it’s very important for me to understand the inner workings of my chosen field in order to fully appreciate the music industry. I have followed music to wherever it has taken me. And I haven’t been disappointed yet! Dale Peterson