C.G.’s Tips of the Week – Advice From a Certified Genius

What’s going on everybody? For those who don’t know me, my name is C.G. (aka The Certified Genius), the owner, operator and producer of my music production company C.G. Productionz. I recently teamed up with MusicGoat.com to bring you my guest blog, Advice From a Certified Genius. This is my chance to give YOU advice regarding different aspects of life and music. The topics may change and these are my personal opinions and beliefs, you have every right to disagree with them and leave your feedback. In fact, I’d love to hear from you whether you love or hate what I have to say. Let’s get into our first entry though.

To start…

Tips for life: Weather the storm. Learn that life is like the weather. There are times when it rains and pours but after the storm the sun shines the brightest. No matter how bad whatever you’re going through is, just keep your head up and hang in there. No bad situation will last forever and sometimes it will be up to you and your mindset or thought process to try and see the positive and end your suffering. Other times, you may need to just wait out a situation and hang in there. Just keep in mind every situation could always be worse and as long as you’re still breathing there’s always time to make something right. Everything happens for a reason, even the not so pleasant moments in life.

Tips for producing/beat making: Change it up. Don’t always use the exact same formula when putting beats or songs together. The last thing you want is for your music to become predictable, this will cause your fans and any listeners to get bored and you do not want that. Instead, just let the music come to you naturally. There’s nothing wrong with a four bar intro, but there’s also nothing wrong with a one bar intro either. You don’t have to always put a breakdown after the second chorus or put the chorus right after the intro. Do what sounds good to you and don’t be afraid to experiment either.

Tips for songwriters/artists: Quality over quantity. In the words of Spits Da Dawn, focus on quality over quantity. Rather than making 50 songs for your album or mixtape and half of them being throwaways, why not focus on making a solid 25 songs that real hits or just really great music? Then out of that 25 you can still narrow it down to 12-15 songs (or however many you’d like). I know to me personally as a fan I’d rather have 12-15 amazing songs on an album than 20 songs and some of that I end up skipping over after a few listens. I know Sky Zoo and ill Mind said that for the recent collab album they did they only made and recorded the necessary amount of tracks. A lot of people love this album too so that goes to show you that you don’t always need excess amounts of music.

Tips for music business: Copyright your music. This is a very important process before you release your music out to the public or send it off to any managers, labels, A&Rs, etc. I’m by no means saying that everyone in the music industry is a thief or crook looking to rip you off but I think it’s important to protect yourself and your music. To me, it’s just a professional way of going about your business. There’s nothing wrong with having your own back and looking out for your own interests; if you don’t, who will? (for more information on copyrighting go to www.copyright.gov)

Tips for finance: Learn to budget. Set money aside for savings and money aside to invest with. If you don’t learn to budget what you spend and just go on crazy shopping sprees you will end up broke. Be careful with what you spend your money on and how much of it you spend. Set up a weekly, bi weekly or monthly budget for yourself based on your income, your essentials (food and other NEEDS for living) and recreational activities (movies, etc.) There’s no sense in living like a rock star if you don’t have the income of a rock star. Even then, it’s important to set money aside because it’s very easy to spend money and for it to disappear just as quickly as it came.

Well I’ll let that soak in for this week and next, I’d really like some feedback too. I’m only going to address things that I feel I know enough about and won’t go too out of my element but I hope this helps you. If you have any suggestions for topics of my next entry please let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks,
Posted by Christopher “C.G” Gallucci of C.G. Productionz

“You can be careful and I’ll be the reckless one”

Introducing singer/songwriter, Sunday Lane

Bring Me Sunshine is the name of your new EP, what song are you most proud of and why?

“Heavy Heart, Heavy Hands” because it deals with issues that are so much bigger than me. I went to a Christian high school and one of my closest friend’s mother never let her go on mission trips to other countries because she insisted there was enough injustice in their own town. I wrote this song as a wake up call to myself and others to take action for social justice in our own towns and cities.

What are the Pros and Cons of moving from Tulsa to Los Angeles?

The great thing about LA is meeting so many people who have the same passion that I do. It’s encouraging to know I’m not the only one with this crazy dream of having music as a job. However, I have moved from being a fairly sized fish in a reasonably small sea to a tadpole in the ocean. The local support in Tulsa is fantastic, and I definitely still consider Tulsa “home.” There’s just something enticing about LA though. It’s the city of possibilities. And if my mom would move here and keep my laundry in line, I might be willing to negotiate that whole “home” thing

You recently released a music video for your single “Won’t Go Back Down”, are there any funny, behind the scene moments we should know about?

Absolutely. The first shoot began at 5am. I somehow convinced my little sister to come along, insisting that it would be fun. Well, turns out my idea of fun is sitting in front of a fire on the beach with the wind blowing smoke and ashes into our faces. Oh, and did I mention it was also raining? Yeah. We really got in touch with the elements that day.

What sort of things inspire you to write songs?

Well, if something significant happens in my life (fall in love, get my heartbroken, etc.) I can’t help but write about it. I suppose it’s sort of a coping mechanism. But sometimes it’s hard to trace a song to it’s inspiration. I often wake up with a certain phrases in my head that I just know are supposed to be a song. Sometimes a friend will say something insightful and poetic without even realizing it and I’m just like, “Bam! That’s a lyric!” I’m pretty sure “Reckless One” was written verbatim from a mildly dramatic text I sent back in the day. Ha Ha! Oh, to be young.

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

Well, obviously Celine Dion, but I think she’s busy with the twins :) So my 2nd choice would be Bon Iver. “Ain’t it just like the present to be showing up like this?” He’s such a great lyricist, and I love his voice!

What song gets the biggest crowd response?

People seem to get really, really quiet during “Reckless One.” I keep telling myself that’s a good thing. The tears are good too, right?

In the spirit of the season, I have to ask: what is your New Year’s resolution?

Well, since I don’t smoke I suppose I should start and have something to quit next year (kidding, mom). This year, I’d really like to find a homeless shelter to be actively involved with. I have such a heart for homeless people.

Check Sunday Lane out on her website or Facebook.

Your Next Music Marketing Plan?

If you, like me, are a musician trying to market yourself and your music online these days, chances are your head is spinning. Spinning because you have advice coming from every freakin direction. But a new music marketing plan could offer light at the end of the tunnel.

The Problem

Half the time something you read today conflicts with something you read last week. Or some music marketing info comes from promoters working with established artist which often times has nothing to do with the little man (why should you or I give a shit what Trent Reznor or Radiohead are doing). And some of it is just plain bullshit.

Hell, even if the info is good, chances are it is only a small piece of the puzzle and only focuses on a small aspect of marketing.

I want something that covers more than just “How To Market Your Music on Twitter” or “How To set Up A Kick Ass Band Website.” I want something proven, that cover most, if not all, of the bases so I can get my hands dirty and take action.

Believe it or not, I think I finally found it.

Promising Solution

For the past few weeks I have been watching videos, watching comments and checking facts presented by a new music marketing course that I believe is gonna help me and a lot of musicians like you sell a bunch of music online. I believed in it so much that I put my money where my mouth is and ponied up the cash to  became a member about two hours ago (see picture below).

The course is called the Music Marketing Manifesto (affiliate link).

Stop by, check it out (affiliate link) and see if you agree.

When you decide to join, let me know so I can look for you in the members area and we can compare notes. Or if you think it is bullshit, tell me why in the comments below.

So You Know I Am Not Full Of Shit, Here's Me In The Members Area!

Sexy, seductive, and sinner.

These are 3 words that sum up the appeal of New York based artist DiSanto. With an upbeat stage show and great pop songs, DiSanto has already make a mark in the entertainment world. Having performed on Broadway in Footloose and Rent, DiSanto is taking the next step into a solo career and the work is paying off.

Tell us a little bit about the sinner, diSanto.

I’m a person that likes to live life to the fullest, no boundaries, no taboos.  Some people think that because of the music I write and my vision of life, I’m a bad person… at least my grandfather does! Hee Hee…. But I’m a good guy, not a saint, but a good guy.   I was brought up in a Catholic school since I was 4 years old up until 17.  They had many rules and much fear was taught to us.  I guess when you grow in such constraints it makes you appreciate life differently.  That’s what I’m trying to spread with my music… A world with no wrong or right, where you can be who you want to be.

A video for your song “Sinner” was recently released, what was the best part about filming?

I have got to say I had tons of fun recording this video.  It is awkward and hot at the same time when you meet someone for the first time and then 5 minutes later you are recording a sex scene. Even though some might think I’m carnivorous, I’m a gentleman as well, so I made sure there was enough whiskey for everybody to loosen up when shooting those scenes!

Watch the video here:   Sinner

What song is the most exciting for you to play live?

“Ride My Chu-Chu” is my favorite song to sing live.  Not just because I choreographed it and wrote it by myself, but also because it’s so danceable that it gets my blood pumping.  There is something about when it hits the bridge that really gets my adrenaline going.

DiSanto is turning into quite the sex symbol, any advice for those trying to get a date?

I try to avoid dates.  They always lead to something serious and at this time in my life and career I can’t commit to anyone or anything other than my music. Of course, I am a human being and have needs, so my advice is let’s skip the dinner and the movies!

Who influences your style the most?

This is a very tricky question.  I hate when people say that they have their own sound and voice, it’s a lie because we are all influenced by many people.  I’ve always listened to Latin music since I was a kid, so my main influences singing wise would be Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi and Luis Miguel.  However, in the songwriting aspect I’d say Prince, Queen, Britney Spears, Madonna and Justin Timberlake have all played an important roles when putting my first album together.

At a young age you had the opportunity to be in several musicals such as “Footloose” and “Rent”, what made you make the transition from Broadway to a solo music career?

I’ve always wanted to be a solo artist since I was a kid. Due to my background in dancing and singing, musicals seemed like an obvious job opportunity for me. Thankfully, I got the opportunity to work in great musicals with great actors/singers and really learned a lot from it.  I would do it again anytime

If you were on a chu- chu train from New York to Los Angeles, what 5 celebrities would be in your train car?

That’s a long ride so I better get some people that could entertain me.  I think Betty White, Steve Carell and Tina Fey will keep me laughing half of the way. The other half I think Jessica Biel, Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie would do just fine.

Check out DiSanto here or on Facebook.