House Of Style Productions

marc grant, david hamilton, and holly starr
presents

The Ez Entertainment Book

 


" Making It"
Knowledge, Wisdom, and Guidance 
by
David Hamilton

Bruce St. James
______________

Some knowledge for you musicians...... as you are reading up on people that can really help you, make sure you know the business professionals in your hometown that live the business you want to be in. Promoting yourself to people shouldn't be limited to Hollywood and NY, you should be wanting to know everyone around you. Thus, by reading as stated earlier in the book and networking, you will eventually start to branch out and meet people, IE Bruce ! 
 
Bruce St. James is a Program Director for one of the leading Hip Hop stations in the country called Power 98 Phoenix. If you ever visit Phoenix , Arizona, you will notice Power 98 all over the city because Bruce and his staff are in the top 10 radio stations in the country to define the city by it's presence on and off the air. Bruce St. James earlier career put him in LA at Power 106 which is also a leading Hip Hop station as a Music Director. If there is one thing that Bruce St. James has mastered, it is the promotion of his staff and his station. Bruce has created a lot of talent, made plenty of artists known to the world, and supported artists like Snoop, Dre, and Bone Thugs and Harmony through the high and low times in their careers. One thing that Bruce can give you information about is how he promotes his station, music he plays, how he picks his music, and what he looks for. 

1. Can you explain to up and coming talent what you look for when you are listening to a song to add to the radio station.... What you look for ?
 
Good songs always find a way. Bad songs don't deserve to see the light of day. "Radio" is looking for the total package. Production, marketing, street buzz, etc. I tell local/new artists that the radio station is the LAST place to visit, not the first. Make sure you have product in stores, are on mix tapes, club DJ's are feeling you, etc. THEN, get radio interested. We reflect what's hot with our audience, not the other way around. This type of promotion forces you to be constantly out on the streets promoting who you are and how you sound, and if the talent is there, it usually finds it's way to the radio station. When an artist creates a strong street buzz, it is usually reflected in the promoting he or she is doing.
2. Can you give up and coming artists advice on how to approach someone like yourself ?
The more professional, the better. I like to see artists that take their work seriously and can present their music in a professional way. Have your ducks in a row, be prepared and get ready to hear no a few times! Not even the "big" acts get EVERY song played even with video's and marketing, so don't expect miracles with every single you release. Have a proposal, show us the ground work and make the PD/MD believe the audience WANTS and NEEDS to hear your music! Oh, and good luck.
 
Bruce St. James
PD/KKFR - Phoenix
(602) 274-6200


With that said, self promotion starts now. If your a singer, in a band, a DJ, a crew, a group, etc...... find a way to take one of your songs, burn 10 CD's and give them a way. Write an E-mail address on each CD and ask the person that is taking your work to at least e-mail you a critique. This way you know your being heard..... This is the start to self promotions....... If your artistic talent is something other than musical performance, read what Bruce has said above and find a way to make his advice viable for what your doing, it may not be music or singing, but his advice can be interpreted for you to get yourself out there being an actor or even a dancer. Let's say your a commercial producer for radio, take one of your better commercials, and send it to 10 different companies with a letter stating that you would like to voice commercials for them. Build a buzz about who you are, to be meeting people and building up your name by promoting yourself. Every form of entertainment is :

"looking for the total package. Production, marketing, street buzz, etc."

the next big thing
 

Next Page ------------->
 

David Hamilton
contact information
 www.ezstreetrecords.com/address.htm