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When Music Meets Marketing
Jett Black and Sonya Brown conduct a colorful
interview with The G-Man and Scott G, two sides of one
person. What? Okay, The G-Man records music; Scott G
produces commercials that use music. (Sure, he often
selects his own music, but he also might use yours.)
Household names that have used Scott G to grab
millions of consumers include record companies (he's
done work for Madonna, Elton John, and the Traveling
Wilburys), healthcare firms (Children's Hospitals),
and automotive sales (from Toyota to Mercury to RVs
made by Monaco). Meanwhile, The G-Man unleashes his
own provocative dance-oriented music with uncanny
frequency.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] You wear SO many hats. Just WHO is the G-Man?
G-Man I'm in communications 3 ways: First with G-Man
Marketing, where I write advertising, produce radio
spots, and compose music for commercials. Second, I'm
a recording artist with 5 albums distributed by
Delvian Records and available on iTunes and Rhapsody.
Third, I write the "Communication Nation" column for AdvertisingIndustryNewswire.com.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Which music would you most like to showcase
to our readers at this time?
G-Man My Motion Potion album has 8 dance-trance
tracks designed for clubs. My Sonic Tonic album is for
goth and dance clubs. Six of its 14 tracks are
dance-trance.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Describe the niche that Sonic Tonic and
Motion Potion seek to satisfy?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Sonic Tonic is for the person who likes
electronic music of all types, from Crystal Method to
Howard Jones, from Devo to Moby, and from OMD to NIN.
Motion Potion is a straight-ahead trance, rave, and
dance-all-night album. Both have dance tracks that use
orchestra and choir.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] The Breakfast Club: A/V nerd, gym jock,
art-fag, band geek, or N.O.T.A?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man I was on the gymnastics team, played Iago at a
Shakespeare festival, made short films, and knew guys
who were in major label bands. So, a bit of each, I
guess.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Do you work alone? Who else is behind the
music of G-Man?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Usually, it's just me and the machines. I did
collaborate on The Platinum Age Of The Remix. That
album has the best of about 60 remixes of my songs
from all over the world. A great jazz pianist named
William Morosi did three cuts of lounge-chill stuff.
DJ Insane did two trance tracks, and one hit the Top
10 in Europe. RD did three, and one went to #1 in
Russia. F. Troy from Mortal Loom did two. With those
guys, I interacted by phone or FTP sites, but I was
over at Matt Forger's studio for his two tracks. Matt
was the recording engineer on 7 Michael Jackson
albums, so it's an honor to work with him.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] What factors do you take into consideration
when producing a commercial?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man You need to know 4 things to create effective
advertising: What are you selling? To whom are you
selling it? What are their hot buttons (or their
perceptions of your product)? And what do you want
them to do?
Take that first point. A hospital client will say
they're selling healthcare services. They're really
selling the possibility of life, the chance to regain
vitality, and the opportunity to be free of pain.
Or take the second point. The hospital might say
"we're selling services to everyone in the San
Fernando Valley." Well, maybe not people without
insurance. Maybe not people who want to go to the
so-called "hospital of the stars" in Beverly Hills.
Advertising is about reaching people who think one
thing but really need something else. Most of the
time, you want to create a commercial that makes
people react in one of two ways. You either want them
to nod in agreement with you because you're speaking
their beliefs and answering their needs, or you want
them to nod in amazement because they're realizing
something new about how your product will answer their
needs.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] What protocols govern how commercial
production may/must proceed?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Sometimes I'm just the voiceover guy, and the
script isn't going to be changed because it was
approved by 3 committees, 4 lawyers and the Board of
Directors. Sometimes I only do the music. I had one
client hum what he wanted into my phone answering
machine, and I composed from that.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] What types of formal musical training
to our readers at this time?
G-Man I had guitar pointers from great studio
musicians like Carl Verheyen and Michael Campagna, and
I took lessons from power-pop rocker Nancy Luca, but
mainly my training consisted of countless attempts to
make a guitar synth sound like everything I ever
heard.
And I mean everything. Classical, rock, jazz, doo-wop,
country, swing, and experimental. And combinations,
like "Bill Evans Trio With Symphony Orchestra"or the
"Indo-Jazz Fusion" albums by the Joe Harriott/John
Mayer Double Quintet.
I also love Harry Partch, who made his own
instruments, and Arvo Part, a true modern classical
genius. And Ken Nordine, who invented word-jazz, and
Frank Zappa, who did all of the above with a rock
beat. Everything. Spoken word, punk, metal. And
soundtracks like Gil Melle's electronic score for "The
Andromeda Strain." And Louis and Bebe Barron's score
for "Forbidden Planet."
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] What more does G-Man music plan to unleash?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man My next album, CRAZED + DAZED, will also have
dance-oriented, tripped-out tracks. Each song begins
with the hardklub beats of Holland's DJ Insane, then I
add distortion, extra harmonics (including subliminal
tones), and my orchestra and choir. I also just
remixed a song that was in "The Silence of the Lambs."
It's "Goodbye Horses" from the next Mortal Loom album.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Your website is full of really funny stuff;
do you write your own jokes or do you have a crack
staff of joke writers lurking in the wings?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man It would be great to have writers! I do most of
my own material, but it sometimes gets tweaked by Phil
Hatten of Phil Hatten Design, the rock photographer
SNOOK (they do my album covers and graphics) and my
business partner, Brian Forest.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Some reviewers describe your music as "Bowie
meets Moby" or "Talking Heads & Gary Numan." Besides
the people you already mentioned, how would you
describe any musical inspirations?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man I want every melody to be as catchy as those
written by Martin Fry of the band ABC. I want
everything to have the punch of jazz drummers like Art
Blakey and Elvin Jones. Mainly, what I want is
sound-inside-sound. I want you to be able to hear the
harmonics hiding inside each note of every chord. I
keep trying to make music that is free-flowing on the
outside but so layered that you can hear a completely
different album the next time you play it, depending
on your mood.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] How would a prospective client go about
getting a radio spot?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man That's easy. My studio phone number
(818-223-8486) and e-mail contact are on every page of
my Web site (www.gmanmarketing.com ). I'm very
easy to find. I usually work within people's budgets,
but I ask for half up front.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] You have won many awards. Which award carries
the most significance for you personally, and why?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Awards are mainly good because of the publicity
you can create for yourself after winning. I think the
only music award that has a lasting influence is the
Grammy. Full disclosure: I'm a voting member in the
Grammys, so I'm a bit biased.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] I’ve seen your name listed on various music
industry commentaries posted up at the
NocturnalMovements.net
music message boards. What
sorts of experiences contribute to your music biz
insights?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Getting information from people like Carmen
Rizzo and Maureen Droney at the National Academy of
Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has been very
humbling and helpful. I'm a creative director for the
National Association of Record Industry Professionals
(NARIP) and have received a lot of insight from people
like Clay Pasternack, who is the guru of indie record
distribution, Scott Meldrum of Hype Council, who is a
master of online marketing, and Michael Levine, of
Levine Communications Office.
Articles I've written about each of these people are
on lots of Web sites, including Nocturnal Movements.
Go to www.narip.com , www.musicbizacademy.com ,
www.electro-music.com , www.bitchinentertainment.com.
Just Google: "G-Man Music articles."
I've also written about the work of Derek Sivers, the
head of CD Baby, Michael C. Ross, producer of
Christina Aguilera and Counting Crows, and Art Sayecki
as well as many other great mastering engineers.
I share tracks with music schools and musicians. I
send tracks to almost anyone who wants to do a remix.
Plus, I'll link up with any musicians on MySpace:
www.myspace.com/thegman.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] What is the best advice you can give for
other indie musicians trying to earn a buck?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man Only a few people get to make a living totally
from their art. Usually, a lot of compromises are
involved. Practicing your craft in the light of public
opinion, for example. Interacting with people who have
some control over your distribution. Not taking your
art so far beyond the comprehension of crowds that no
one will show up or look or listen.
What happens is that you enter the world of commerce
where the rules of the marketplace apply. You have to
sell your work or find partners who do the selling. I
always tell people that I don't really make a living
from my music; I make a living from music, marketing,
advertising, licensing, producing, and voiceovers.
Your work is art when you're creating it in the
studio, but when you slap a ticket price on it or a
bar code on the back of it or a digital watermark
inside of it, then it becomes business. Get a business
person, preferably an entertainment attorney, to be on
your side and have them watch what you sign.
[Jett Black and Sonya Brown] Lay it on us, G-Man! What more would you like
to say to our readers?
to our readers at this time?
G-Man You have power in so many areas of your life.
We all complain about the areas where we're not in
control: work, landlords, playing loud music in the
middle of the night, and so on. But think of all the
situations where you control your part of the world.
Your reactions to the good people in your life. Your
interaction with a girlfriend or boyfriend. The amount
of creativity you put into what you say, do, sing,
paint, or write.
Imagine if we all did just one percent better at it.
The change in the world would be felt everywhere. I
want to make shimmering electric creations that skate
through the airwaves and touch people in the head,
hips, and heart. And only by working at doing
everything better will I have a chance to accomplish
that. That's power. And I hope we all use it every
day.
Scott G: www.gmanmarketing.com
Jett Black: www.nocturnalmovements.net
Sonya Brown: www.gothicbeauty.com
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