Each week, Urban Music A&R exec Ian Steaman answers your questions about the music 'biz. Got a burning Urban music or music business question you need answered...fast? No sweat. We've got your back!

Each week, Urban Music exec Ian Steaman answers your questions about the music 'biz. Got a burning Urban music or music business question you need answered...fast? No sweat. We've got your back!
 
Here's your chance to have Ian Steaman, an A&R insider with almost twenty years experience in the music industry, answer your Urban music questions. Get straightforward, honest and credible information from one of Urban Music's rising stars. Ian has worked with such Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum Urban acts as Coolio, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, House of Pain and many many more.   

Q: Hi Ian. My style of music would be considered a fusion of Jazz, R&B and Soul. Some describe my style as being similar to Erykah Badu or Jill Scott. This is the genre of music that I plan to pursue professionally. However, when I was younger I was known locally as a rapper (ironically I heard Erykah started out the same way). Some feel that I should at least add one rap song to my demo as a way of letting A&R know that I can write rap as well as ballads. What are your thoughts on this?

A: What do you want to be: an MC, a singer or both? The reality is that it's hard to be both a great MC and singer. Very few have accomplished the feat since the advent of hip hop: Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot spring to mind as the most recent and most accomplished at both.

If you do want work in both realms then simply adding one hip hop track to your demo isn't going to be enough to convince someone you can do either and, unless you're are incredible at both, very few A&Rs are going to be impressed by your demo. Rapping is a skill that needs to be developed just like singing. If you're a great singer but not a fantastic MC, it's unlikely you will make many inroads in the highly competitive hip hop scene.

However, it sounds like you really have a passion for singing. If so, you should continue to focus on developing your craft and talent as a vocalist and make the best possible R&B demo you can. On a final note, while it's fantastic that you are trying to develop a style in, what have some termed, the neo-soul genre rather than in the overcrowded world of mainstream R&B, you would be best served by trying to develop a sound uniquely distinct from either Erykah or Jill. Artists with a unique sound or a fresh twist on an old formula are always the most likely to succeed rather than those with a "me-too" sound.

Q: Ian, I am a singer/songwriter looking for a record deal and I am in the process of sending out my packages. I have a bio and demos, but have NO idea how to write a cover letter. Can you help? Thank you.

A: When submitting a demo package, my advice regarding cover letters is to keep it simple and to the point. Most A&Rs are really focused on how your music sounds and whether you have the visual qualities to stand out from the huge pack of unsigned acts out there and be stars. They could care less about a cover letter and having great letter writing skills will be irrelevant if your demo contains incredible hit songs.

That being said, there are a few basics that you should adhere to: the cover letter should be personally addressed to each person you are sending a package to, contain no spelling errors and highlight any key points that could hook in interest from an A&R. These points should be put in bullet-point form which lends itself better to catching the attention of short-attention span A&R's (or their assistants) who may only quickly glance at your package to see whether it warrants further attention. Such points include:

- the name of any one who may have made a referral to the particular person you are sending your demo to

- key sales or airplay data if you submitting a package of an independently-released project

- other notable marketing data such as whether you have toured with or opened for national acts etc.

- the names of any marquee musicians or producers who may have been involved in the production or recording of your demo.

- the names of any other key industry players who may be involved in your project, if that involvement is significant. For example, "We have just signed for management with The Firm..." or "CAA has already signed us for tour bookings" would likely catch someone's attention if either were the case.

If none of these points are applicable, keep the cover letter to the most basic but relevant points: who you are (e.g. "we are a 3 man alternative/punk group"), where you're from and what kind of a demo you are submitting (e.g. "this is an 8 track, home-studio recorded demo...", "self produced," "produced by Joe Blow..." etc.). As for the tone of the letter, keep it professional, this is almost like a job application letter, but lighter and breezier, after all this is the music industry. End the letter by thanking the A&R in advance for their time and attention in listening to your demo. You should then end with your contact info should there be any further interest in your demo. The whole thing should be no more than the equivalent of 2 short paragraphs in length.

Q: My daughter wants to sing positive music (not Christian or Gospel) with an R&B/Pop/Rock style. She will be appearing on "Showtime at the Apollo" soon in the Amateur Night competition. What is your perspective of how the industry rates the winners and performers from this TV show? Do you know if people in A&R watch the show or have scouts watch it for prospective talent?

A: There has certainly been a history of artists who've appeared on TV talent shows and, whether they won or lost, gone onto to become successful recording artists or performers. TV talent shows and TV shows in general seem to be a particularly good breeding ground for mainstream pop artists. That said, most A&Rs, even those who specialize in developing pop artists, aren't going to be solely swayed by your daughter's success on a TV show.

I can't say how many labels have A&Rs or scouts regularly scanning TV shows for talent. I can say that your daughter's winning the "Amateur Night" competition, especially as the kind of artist she is, could be a great calling card that should gain you some initial interest by either record companies or production companies. However, whether you can parlay a deal from there will likely depend on whether she has the kind of vocal chops, personality and presence that a label thinks it can develop and craft into an artist with commercial potential. One red flag I already see is your generalist description of her wanting to sing "positive music... with an R&B/Pop/Rock style." As I've said before, artist with a unique musical vision or sound are more likely to succeed than artists who describe themselves as being "versatile" (the kiss of death as my former boss Monica Lynch used to say) or try to appeal to various audiences by flitting between musical genres. However this is more an issue in genres like hip hop and alternative rock where credibility and purity of musical vision mean more to the audience.

I would recommend that you make any contacts you have developed so far in your pursuit of a deal aware of her upcoming appearances on TV. For those who miss it, or for new contacts you are trying to make, take copies of the performances and put them together as an EPK that can be part of the demo package as you continue to shop her project.

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