Rob Rodell’s Diary

House Broken 2013

“Could This Be Love”

Rob Reverb Rodell @Robrodell1 robrodell.tumblr.com robrodellfans@gmail.com

Volume 1: July

Nice work if you can get it/The knack of treating music like a

job and a business, not a hobby…

There may be some sad people reading this, eager to pursue

music but feeling disempowered. Years ago I went to an

interview for a corporate position, but I was unhappy. The

recruiter asked, “What’s wrong? Is it the music?” I lied and said

no, but of course it was. Such is the dilemma of one who stands

at the crossroads and has to decide to be brave or sensible. In

my time at The Music Business Academy, many a DJ, producer

or artist has told me how their parents are opposed to their

career choice, even though they may be paying for their music

studies. But I also see students who waste the opportunity.The

one thing anyone must remember is that it’s a business, not a

hobby. Entrepreneurs flourish in the music industry. The power

of the industry rests with the record labels who know tbusiness, or the newly-empowered artists and DJs who run

their own labels like a business.There are some important

things to remember, like music law and basic management

principles. When is it permissible for a DJ to use a sample from

somebody else’s song? What makes a song a cover version or

an .adaptation? Even some major artists have ended up in hot

water over copyright (Shakira with ‘Waka Waka’ is an example).

A reality check in terms of finance is often needed. I tell my

students nobody is coming to rescue you in the industry, with

no pension fund and medical aid benefits, so you must

provide those things or end up in trouble. Finally, there is the

all-important ingredient of music marketing, creating

awareness and getting music into the hands of fans, through

digital and physical distribution.Whilst on their journey, I

encourage students to watch what I call “music movies,”

which teach them the industry. Students must submit a movie

assignment, writing a synopsis and applying it to their careers.

I would encourage anyone interested in the music industry to

watch them. Good examples include Cadillac Records,

Notorious, 8 Mile, The Social Network (about digital music),

Ray, Walk the Line, Coal Miner’s Daughter, La Bamba, and

Music & Lyrics. I also suggest researching careers, from

Richard Branson, who made his first million in music, to

Michael Jackson, who holds the record for the biggest album

release, Thriller, with around 115 million copies sold. A recent

book by Danny K called ‘In My Opinion’ edited by Mandy

Wiener is great, showing how tough the music industry can

be, but inspiring musicians to keep on fighting.

I am reminded of John Demartini, who encourages people to do

what they love. Despite difficulty convincing parents, the

financial insecurity when living as an artist/DJ/producer, the

uncertainty of creating a hit, and all the other obstacles,

including self-doubt, it is actually possible to flourish in music, if

you want it badly enough. South African Music Award (SAMA)

nominee, performing artist and singer-songwriter Rob Rodell is

the director of The Music Business Academy, a company that

specialises in teaching music business courses to anyone who is

interested in learning about the business of the music industry.

He is currently working on his doctorate in music branding using

new media in the New Economy. Rodell can be contacted on

robrodell@gmail.com or www.samusicbiz.com.

Content

1. Rob off The mike-Behind the scene

2. Music Business-Music education and

Tips

3.House Broken 2013-Review

Rob Off the Mic

ROB EMBRACES THE RAINBOW NATION

Rob Rodell is a singer-songwriter and an MTN SAMA Nominee. Rob has worked with the likes of YFM's DJ Shimza and Cuebur. The track

could this be love was a hit on SA's radio stations. After 25 years of experience Rob is still following his music career. Rob is also a part-

time lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and is planning to release few albums this year with some albums being for Aids orphans

and saving the Rhinos.

Rob is making a point that even though we were fortunate enough to be singers or celebrities, we should always give back to people who

got us there. Giving back to the community is the same as the community buying our music and supporting our talents. Success is inspired

by people who believe in our talent. Doing charity work is one way of thanking our supporters for believing in us. Most singers or

celebrities chase money and fame forgetting the reasons behind their successes. Money and fame do not make us bigger than life, giving

is what makes us true South Africans. The Rainbow Nation must break the barriers and bridges between the rich and poor or the black and

white in a mission to embrace the Rainbow Nation. SA's celebrities and the rich should spare time to help out the needy as much as they

also got a helping hand from their fans to get them where they are and put bread on their table by buying and supporting their talents.

"The only way to move forward in this Rainbow Nation country is if we take people who believed in our talents along with us in our career

journey". Most rich big shots sing Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika with pride but never live up to it, our national anthem is about the joy and spirit of

giving. Nelson Mandela's legacy must go on, after all u Tata did not spend 27 years in prison so that the rich and the famous can be

separated from the poor. Our success depends on others.

Caption: Chasing away the winter blues... The kids at Hugh's Haven in Yeoville were visited by singer Rob Rodell,

who dropped off a whole bunch of soups for some hearty nourishment this winter. Hugh's Haven is currently

raising funds for the kids to see out the winter, with some soup in their stomachs and some hope in their souls.

1.

..

The 4Ps of making it in music – by Rob Rodell

The 4Ps have become synonymous with marketing, but what I am talking about here is four

altogether different Ps: these are purpose, persistence, perseverance and patience, and they are

four key elements to having a lifetime career in the music industry.

When people are young, ambitious and eager, with stars in their eyes, many want to follow music

and pursue a career in the music industry. And that’s a very cool thing. As time wears on, and as it

becomes difficult and they realise that the fantasy that they had is not what the music industry is

actually about, many people leave their dream and go on to live perfectly respectable lives in other

fields. But some people keep going on, because they realise that music isn’t just some fantasy that

they want to pursue, but is actually something they really love doing.

I always tell my students that the music industry is far from glamorous, and what you see in the

newspapers is a small fragment of what actually goes on. For those who really love music, but feel

discouraged by the difficulty and the challenges that face them as they try to have a fulfilling career

in music, here is an article that will both encourage them and sober them up just a little.

If you speak to successful people in the music industry, from Oskido to Lira to Kurt Darren to The

Parlotones to Danny K to Zahara, they will all tell you that: 1) it took a lot more out of them than

they initially realised, and 2) that they had to keep fighting and keep believing in what they loved,

and knew that they were called to do it.

Let’s take each of the elements and define them, and then discuss them. Hopefully by the end of the

article you will feel encouraged to fight another day.

Purpose is defined as “that which is determined on; intention; aim.” The three key words here

therefore are determination, intention and aim. Music has to become your number one goal, if you

are to be very good at it, and if you want to be successful in it. This is what separates those who do it

as a hobby from those who do it as a career. It was Steve Jobs of Apple who said that the only way to

be good at a job is to find something that you really love to do. Richard Branson expressed a similar

sentiment when he said that when we do what we love, then the money is bound to follow. Of

Music Business

2.

course, all of this takes time. But the point is that music needs to either be a burning desire, or

become one, if you want to be successful in it. And that means getting out of bed every morning, like

the rest of the world, and going to do your job. Many people forget that. The more you see music as your

highest aim and goal in life, the more your body and mind will prepare to assist you, to become better in your

specific field of music, whether you’re a DJ, a songwriter, a singer, an instrumentalist, a producer, or involved

in some other field in the music industry.

Persistence is defined as being able to “continue firmly or obstinately; continue to exist.” When I was learning

how to sing, after many teachers told me that I just wasn’t that good, I finally found a teacher who told me

that persistent and consistent work is what makes a voice, and that great voices are made, they are not born.

We could argue about this as I’m sure many people would disagree with me, and while I have evidence that

persistence is what makes talent, this is not the subject of this article. The point I want to make is this: you

have to fight your own mind to tell yourself that you will not give up, no matter how tough it becomes. The

music industry is a very competitive and crowded field, and if you give up at the first sign of trouble you will

never make it in music. Go and study the careers of people like Tupac or B.I.G or Li’l Wayne or even Barbra

Streisand, and you will find people who fought very hard for what they wanted. The problem with a lot of

young people, because of instant coffee, instant messaging, instant meals and instant gratification with a

credit card, is that they also want an instant music career. It takes years of hard, consistent and persistent

work to craft the kind of career that is truly respected by many. Let me controversial for a moment, and say

that this is even true of people who become instantly famous because they win a talent competition. Most of

those people have been involved in the industry for years anyway, and those who aren’t usually fade away

within a year of their new-found fame. So you have to be someone who never gives up.

Perseverance is defined as to “continue steadfastly, especially in something difficult or tedious.” For me,

persistence feels like a short-term thing that you need to keep doing over and over and over, while

perseverance feels like a long-term thing you have to just keep doing until you are finished. Someone who runs

the 100m sprint has to be persistent, but someone who has to run the Comrades Marathon has to persevere.

You need both of them to be successful in music, and these two elements constantly combine to make you

successful. Again, ask any professional in music if they have had to persevere in their music careers and they

will tell you that it is an absolute necessity. Look at someone like DJ Fresh: he has been around for years, and

also had to work his way up through the ranks, but because of our short-term memories we only think back

over the last few years and reason that he was born successful. No. When I went to a music conference in Los

Angeles a few years ago, with 2,000 musicians sitting in the same convention room, the organiser reminded us

that nobody is born a good songwriter – this is a skill that is developed over years and years of effort and hard

work. The truth is, if you are not willing to do this hard work, then you probably don’t belong in the music

industry. The same is true of being a DJ – Louie Vega and Black Coffee and David Guetta all had to work their

way up through the ranks before they finally arrived. So must you.

David Guetta had already released three albums before he hit the big time with Kelly Rowland and When Love

Takes Over.

Finally, patience is defined as “calm endurance of hardship, inconvenience, delay; perseverance.” So

patience is also linked to perseverance, which is linked to persistence. I find that patience is in very

short supply amongst young people, yet it is an essential ingredient in our success. If you cannot wait

for the things that you really want, then you will find yourself a very frustrated person, because

patience is part of the game. Think of the time when you really wanted to get something, and you

had to wait for your birthday or Christmas before you were able to get it, or you had to save for it

first. There is a lot to be said for earning things rather than just being given things, because when we

have to wait for them and earn them, I believe that we appreciate them so much more. It’s the same

thing with a music career, because then we actually appreciate it. I am grateful to the universe for

my singing voice every single day, and I love to sing, because I had to work for it, so I appreciate it.

The same is true for every bit of time I spend in the recording studio working on my craft, and every

album that I release, even though they cost money and take time. As the old saying goes, good

things come to those who wait.

So there you have it! Four key ingredients for being successful in the music industry. It is my belief

that having the correct mindset comes before the courses that we teach at The Music Business

Academy, which include music law (and copyright), music marketing, management of a record label

and artists, and music finance. But once you have the mindset, and you determine that this is your

chosen life path, then let nothing and nobody stop you from striving for your goal.

Using music to enhance your experiential brand

The 3 Es of branding

There are three trends that are currently affecting the shopping centre marketing brand. None of

these trends is new, and they are all well-known among the shopping centre marketing fraternity.

They are the 3 Es of branding, or the rise of emotional branding, the advent of e-branding (or

electronic branding), and the increased use of experiential branding.

Briefly, emotional branding is the continued use of emotional appeals to create a ‘heart’ link

between the shopping centre and the user through the psychological concept of transference – if we

feel good about the centre’s image and we identify with it then it makes us feel good about

ourselves, in a nutshell. Slogans such as “shopping with heart” and “your comfort zone” are

indicators that centre marketers are trying to create stronger emotional links between their brands

and their patrons.

E-branding is of course the explosive use of all things digital to create stronger links between a

centre brand and the new media, mostly centred around the cell phone and the Internet. Every

centre worth its salt now has a Facebook page, while some have Twitter handles, and various other

applications such as Bluetooth and the like have been used, sometimes with limited success. As

newer smart phones emerge we will see the increased integration and interface between traditional

media, digital media and CRM programmes.

Branded experiences

Neither of these trends is the focus of this article, however, as we turn our attention now to the

concept of experiential branding. It is relevant to say, however, that there is also a convergence

between these 3 trends and cross pollination between them, such that part of having an emotional

experience with a shopping centre brand might involve the use of electronic media (the 3 Es combined, for

maximum brand integration).

Experiential branding, in another nutshell, is the concept that brands are trying to create experiences around

their use and in their interaction with customers. In the case of shopping centres, this is not difficult, as the

centre is already a place to ‘go hang out and have an experience.’ However, with the plethora of shopping

alternatives, it has become increasingly difficult to create a unique experience, and this is important, for one of

the central tenets of effective branding is to create uniqueness so that the brand stands out. In Gauteng,

competition is exacerbated by the completion of the Gautrain, which has brought new target markets to

centres located at stations.

In some cases, experiential branding has worked: look at Gateway ‘Theatre of Shopping,’ for example, long

voted by the Tweens and young adults in the Generation Next survey as SA’s ‘coolest mall’ – shopping is about

theatre, not just shopping. In some cases, it has not: take the closure of IMAX theatres and the closure of some

ice rinks in centres.

Music and emotion

One of the more transient ways to create experiences is through the use of music in a centre, either as ‘piped

music’ over the PA system, the performance of recorded music in a live setting (like a DJ performing music), or

a live music performance (an artist who stands up to sing/act/dance). Such music can often affect the

perceived ‘ambience’ of a centre and, it has been suggested through research, influence shopping behaviour.

This is also not new thinking – take, for example, the use of ‘fast music’ to get patrons in a busy restaurant to

eat quickly and then leave in order to turn the tables, or the use of ‘slow music’ in a diametrically opposed

situation when the restaurant is empty, to get the patron to stay longer and perhaps purchase more.

Even so, this bears more discussion. What music can offer is the ability to instantly create more of an

experience – if it is used properly and effectively to enhance the shopping centre brand instead of detracting

from it. Kevin Roberts’ seminal work about brands becoming lovemarks (brands that are loved so much that

people want to have relationships with them – think BMW, iPhone and so forth) cites research that shows 70%

of people are drawn to music because of the emotional connection they feel with it. Thus if you really know

your target market and you understand what their listening behaviour is, then in some surreptitious way the

music that is either played in the centre as par for the course, or is included in an event, could potentially

enhance perceptions of the brand on a subconscious level – using emotion (through music) to amp up the

experience, which further research has shown is more likely to get the brand remembered in the long term,

and is also more likely to get the brand talked about.

Always remember the tenant

One thing that shopping centre marketers sometimes overlook when planning a music-based event is the

impact that it might have on the tenant. I have my own horror stories to tell here. As a performing artist, I

delivered what I believed was an awesome performance in a big regional centre one Christmas: I had a great

rapport going with Father Christmas and the elves. When I contacted the marketing manager to enquire as to

whether they wanted to also use me for their upcoming Valentine’s Day promotion, she told me that the

tenants were less than enthused about my performance and the amount of noise that I had made, and they

would not be using me again! This is always a difficult balancing act: providing experience-enhancing events

without killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg – after all, the tenants are also an important

primary target market, and they pay your rent.

Another recent example is that of a centre so well established, it is woven into the consciousness of northern

Jo’burg’s social fabric. Said centre had a ballet promotion on, to encourage support for the Arts. The problem

was that the little ballerinas kept dancing, for hours on end, to the same Sugar Plum Fairy music from The

Nutcracker Suite, which drove the tenants quite scatty. Needless to say, the centre’s marketing team got the

evil glare…

Keep an eye on the law…

Keep an eye on the law…

Another important consideration is the use of music in public areas, which carries with it compulsory licences.

Most of the time this confuses shopping centre management. For example, at one centre I was consulting at,

the financial assistant received a letter from SAMPRA (the South African Performing Rights Association), which

collects royalties for needletime (or the performance of sound recordings), while most shopping centres pay

an annual blanket licence to SAMRO (the Southern African Music Rights Organisation), which collects

performance royalties for musical works. Both are distinct elements of the bundle of rights for copyright, as

defined by the SA Copyright Act of 1978, and both require payment!

In another example at the same centre, I was approached by a company that wanted to set up a centre-

specific radio station, which sounded like a good idea. I met with the team. The older chap was very smartly

dressed, but brought along with him a young ‘cool dude’ dressed in sloppy jeans with a scruffy beard and just-

got-back-from-last-night’s-gig hair. I thought it was in bad taste to pitch up dressed like that for a meeting,

though I am all for Friday Jeans Day (it was not a Friday). When I enquired as to whether said radio station was

to pay a blanket licence to SAMRO, the young upstart said that they had an arrangement with NORM, another

collection society. While this is true (NORM is a legit organisation), they do not collect royalties for the playing

of music in a public space like a shopping centre. His lack of knowledge, plus his appearance, instantly put me

off. In such cases it is important that the company that comes on board should be able to debunk any myths

around music licences for the centre.

In closing

Music can indeed be a great mood enhancer for the creation of an experiential brand. It is a quick, relatively

easy and relatively cheap way to add ambience to a centre. Always remember to keep your target market in

mind, though.

Performing artist Rob Rodell is the director of The Music Business Academy and the owner of Singers Inc., a

company that specialises in music-based brand activations and entertainment. With more than 15 years of

shopping centre marketing and performing experience, he has worked with big SA names such as The

Parlotones and Goldfish. Rodell’s master’s degree was on shopping centre branding. He is currently working on

his doctorate in music branding using new media in the New Economy.

Album Review: House Broken 2013

Power vocals. A class act. Music to put you in touch with yourself. Rob "Reverb" Rodell is a South African Music Award

(SAMA) nominated singer-songwriter who fuses contemporary classical styles with dance, house, pop, rock and Afro-

pop. It's like Josh Groban being married to Madonna. This is a big man with a big voice.

Rob wears two musical hats: the classical crossover music style, due to his classically trained voice (that's the Josh

Groban part - the 'constant' in Rob's music), and then the dynamic, ever-changing follow-the-trend music style (that's

the Madonna part - the 'variable' in Rob's music). If you like Josh, the chameleon-esque always-changing style of

Madonna, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Mika or Rick Astley, you'll probably find something in Rob's music that you like

too.

Rob is releasing an album this year called House Broken. This album features the hit single Could This Be Love Ft DJ

Shimza and Cuebur. also featured in this album are Phat Kid and Avi-G. This album covers all House Music Fans from

electro house to deep house. House Broken also includes killer tracks like get up and dance, still standing here with a bit

of hip hop No regrets featuring Avi-G. This Album Consists of 11 tracks (10 house and 1 hip hop. An album launch is

scheduled for later this year. If you love to get down on the dance floor, this album is definitely for you. For more

information about Rob Rodell Visit www.robrodell.com, Facebook name is Rob Reverb Rodell and @rob rodell1 on

twitter.

3.

Gratitude: a key ingredient in the success of your music career – by Rob Rodell

Picture this scene: you’re totally broke. You haven’t updated your Facebook profile in months because you have no airtime. You haven’t been able to

pay for DJ equipment so you can’t get a DJ’ing gig. You look at the career of Mr Uber DJ/Singer and you can’t help but get jealous, angry or become

despondent. Career going nowhere, right?

Wrong. It may sound a little twee and ‘too happy for words,’ but the truth is, even in the lowest moments of your music career, there is still stuff you

can be grateful for… The idea of quantum theory, suggested by the great teachings of Aristotle and Plato, amongst others, expresses the notion that

there can never be a one-sided event. So in other words, even in the midst of your crisis, there is still a blessing.

Many people find this hard to fathom, especially in light of the fact that they may have no money – or very little money – to even feed their families.

Even in such dire circumstances, there is still plenty to be grateful for.

The music industry is awash with people who came from very humble beginnings, to move on to greater things. Our very own Zahara came from a

background of limited means, with parents that were often unemployed or working in low-paying jobs, and used her experiences to write music that, as

she says, connects with and inspires people. Dolly Parton, writer of Whitney Houston’s smash hit I will always love you was born in poverty in rural

America, one of many children. She moved to Nashville, capital of country music, the day after she graduated from high school, and continues to work

to this day. Her theme park, Dollywood, creates thousands of jobs for the poor people from the area where she grew up. Quincy Jones, hit producer of

the biggest selling album in the world, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, also came from humble – and difficult – circumstances, and used his experiences to

help him carve a spectacular music career. Adele, the British pop sensation who conquered the Grammys this year with six awards and had the biggest

selling album in the world last year, used her experiences from what she calls a “rubbish relationship” to create some of the most anthemic songs of the

last 18 months, like Someone Like You and Rolling in the Deep.

The truth is, you can moan and complain and be unhappy about your music career – or lack thereof – or you can acknowledge that you are unhappy,

and then work through that unhappiness to still carve a career that you can be grateful for, even with the most limited resources. And actually, it’s

those difficult circumstances that you want to run away from that create the depth in your music that people can sense and that helps them fall in love

with you. Many years ago, a record producer I was working with told me, “Artists are paid to feel the pain of the world.” Being hard up sometimes

serves you, more than you realise at the time.

Let’s look at some things you can do, and be grateful for: Join a choir, or start one. Get involved in community projects in your area. Many areas have

community halls or recreation centres that offer free or cheap dance lessons, drama classes, or singing lessons. Offer to perform for aged people,

because they are usually so grateful for the company and the entertainment. Ask a DJ friend if you can tag along to his/her gig and check out his

equipment, maybe take some pics and then send them to him/her (when you have money on your phone!). Do a karaoke competition. Offer to DJ for a

friend’s party for free (provided that you know they’re not going to ‘use’ you). Do a charity project and record an album for a worthy charity, so that the

focus is on them, not on you (this will give you purpose and help you focus on serving others). Pretty soon, you’ll be surprised at how many

opportunities are coming your way – and some of them will start paying…

Many years ago, my aunt told me that my cousin (her daughter) said to her, “I love the beach, mom, because it’s free.” Well, so is singing. You don’t

have to pay to sing (in many cases), and it’s not only good for your health because of the breathing, it’s also good for your mind and your soul – it’s like

taking a walk through a beautiful garden on a spring day. And contrary to popular belief, everybody can sing…

Be grateful for your career – and when you are, you will find that you get more opportunities in it, and more opportunities to be grateful for. It’s up to

you to cultivate a mindset of success.

SAMA nominee Rob Rodell is a singer-songwriter, music entrepreneur and director of The Music Business Academy, which specalises in teaching people

the business side of the music industry. His house track “Could This Be Love” with DJs Shimza and Cuebur was a hit in 2011 and was released by Soul

Candi. He can be contacted on robrodell@gmail.com or at www.samusicbiz.com.

The Music Business Academy is giving away an advanced music marketing course, which teaches students about copyright and how to protect their

music, and also when and when not to use samples and covers. The course is valued at R2000. To enter, please [… to be discussed]