Recording - August 2012 - 55

for.” Sometimes it doesn’t work out so well, but sometimes it does, and people remember when you help them out. Continued from page 52 late. I go to Nashville every five or six weeks, and write there with those people who are insanely talented and humble. You walk into a room and there’s like no gear. There’s a fireplace and a leather chair and a couch. You look beyond the couch, and, hey, where’s the mixing board? You can’t hide behind the gear when you’re writin’ songs. You’ve got a guitar and you. Everyone will have a little laptop or something, or a pad of paper. But you’ve just got to write a really good song to get invited back. Are you intimidated by any of them? No, I stopped doing that. I was the first time I went in, because you walk in and you just see #1, #1, #1, and you’re just kinda like, “Man.” You just take a deep breath and give ’em what you got. What profound advice that we haven’t touched on can you leave these guys with, because I want for all of them is exactly what you have enjoyed. You are literally one of them. You are so one of them, and here you are absolutely living the life that virSo just make music. And if you find a student film to work on, or a young singer that you just think is really good… My friend PJ’s girlfriend introduced him to a nine-and-a-half-year-old boy at his church, actually, and she said, “You’ve got to hear this kid sing. I want you to write a song with him.” “What do I want to write with a nineand-a-half-year-old kid for?” And the Jonas Brothers ended up doing pretty well. [laughter] Now PJ has a brand-new studio and he’s making music, and traveling, and having a good life, because he went for it and he did something.

There is that personal thing—just be who you are. Be a person who helps folks out when they need help doing their little film, or whatever they’re working on. Be a good person and be honorable… that goes a long, long way. Not to sound all mushy and stuff, but it just does. Make great music. Believe in yourselves, and keep submitting songs to TAXI, because this dude will get you to people that might be a lot harder to get your music to when trying to do it yourself. I mean, you could spend like $80 on gas just driving to go and hand it to them. And he will do it for you. So I think it’s great that you guys are all here. Thanks for taking the time to listen! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Adam Zelkind! [Applause]

“Look at the legal part as just another thing that you’re learning.” —Adam Zelkind
tually everybody in this room… How many of you guys would like to do what he does for a living? [applause] The vast majority. I think only spouses who aren’t musicians didn’t raise their hands on that. Didn’t that child raise her hand? You’ve walked in their shoes, and they want to walk in yours. Help them learn how to do that. Well, make music because you love making music, not because you love making money. If you want a guarantee to make money, be a divorce lawyer. It’s an easy half mil a year, dudes and chicks—easy. But if you want to make music because you’ve got to… I mean, I just hear it in my head. I dream it, and, you know, I can’t not do music. So what I said at the very beginning, like I was willing to die trying—moron. But, you know, it’s like, maybe what if it didn’t work and I don’t care? I did other jobs. Do what you’ve got to do to eat and feed your children. But do it because you love it and because you have to make music, and don’t worry so much about the money. When I’m working on a project and someone says, “Will you do this?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And they say, “Well, we don’t have much money,” I say, “You tell me how much you want to pay me and that’s how much I’m gonna ask
55

http://www.vocalbooth.com http://www.vocalbooth.com

Recording - August 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2012