Muzak... yes, I said "Muzak"

[deankripp]

When I was coming up in the music biz - way back when - the word "Muzak" stood for everything that I despised in music. No matter how much money someone would have paid me at the time I would never, ever have let myself be associated with "that" kind of boring-homoginized-nothingness... No way! Time passes. Reality bites you in the musical butt. Attitudes and perspectives start to..., flex - to open up... to change. Four years ago I answered a Taxi listing for "Muzak-type Smooth Jazz songs." I was forwarded. Music-company-dude calls me, says he digs my stuff - asks for more. I send him more. End of story. Four months ago that same music-company-dude calls up and says "remember me?" He asks if I have any new Smooth Jazz. I say "yes, but I'll need to remix it so it'll take me a few weeks to get the new tunes to you." "Coolness," he replies. I immediately start writing and recording a couple of new smooth jazz numbers. (I hadn't written or recorded any smooth jazz in over a decade - but I wasn't completely lying to him because I knew I had some new smooth jazz tunes dancing around somewhere in my head I get 'em done. I send 'em off. He digs 'em. Last week I get a call from music-company-dude saying that some of my material has been accepted by Muzak for immediate rotation. This excites me because in the last few years I have learned that getting original tunes played on Muzak can pay quite well and do so (pay) for a number of years.... It also revs me up because they have asked for more material - and more material, times good pay, times multiple years of play - equals a happy dean.... (Note: This Muzak thing may not appeal to some of you but any time that dean keeps making money on and on after the work is done - dean digs it.) So, there ya go. Even four years after the fact - Taxi listing forwards are still diligently working behind the scenes for me and for you.PS. I no longer consider Muzak something that I do not want to be associated with. Quite the contrary - I absolutely love Musak. I adore Muzak. I am one with the Muzak.... Bring on the royalties baby. (I'll let you know in nine ascap months how I fare.) Totally unrelated question..... Is it "sellout" or is it simply "selling?";-)

[davewalton]

Sept 10, 2008, 2:03pm, deankripp wrote:Totally unrelated question..... Is it "sellout" or is it simply "selling?"I've found out that doing ANY genre of music CONVINCINGLY, especially when it's outside of your normal specialty, requires LOTS of talent. Hand a Muzak assignment to 100 random musicians and I'd bet that only a handful... maybe only one or none, could pull it off to the point where it hits the target dead on.Great story and congratulations!Dave

[tedsingingfox]

Spectacular story and amazing news, Dean.Dig it.for the chance to be well paid for a number of years for music written last month...I would happily bow to the Muzak....make offerings to the Muzak...light candles for the Muzak...Keep us posted during the nine interim months, won't you?Ted

[suzdoyle]

Great story, Dean.I think its ALL music, any style/ genre of which will find its own particular (and appreciative) audience. So -- BRAVO! for making friends with Muzac (hmmm, is this the musical version of prozac?). I think it's only "selling out" if you hate doing it. Otherwise, it's just exploring another aspect of your musical nature . . . And as Dave said, it is challenging to write for the Muzac genre. Which leads me to a question for my Taxi Forum Co-horts: What would be the most challenging song to Muzac-ify?I'm thinking "Crazy Train" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" . . . ,Suz . . . or perhaps the "Numa Numa song . . . "

[dovetail]

Muzak pays very well. I had a few albums worth of material in their system in the 90's and after 10 years of play, accumulated quite a decent amount of money. Any area of music that brings in money is worth doing. It's not selling out - it's, like you said, reality. Congratulations!

[crystallions]

Thanks for sharing. This is awesome! Congratulations! ~ Lydia

[bmete]

Hi Dean,I guess MUZAK was written on one of those ping pong balls that fell from the skies. ( For translation see Nashville rally notes:)... be proud,Totally unrelated question..... Is it "sellout" or is it simply "selling?"Absolutely SELLING at it's highest level...Another way of looking at it selling yes, also survivingCongrats!Bob

[allends]

Sept 10, 2008, 2:03pm, deankripp wrote:Totally unrelated question..... Is it "sellout" or is it simply "selling?";-)Great story Dean!! Here's my spin in on your question:Music is love in motion and it's a real blessing when your music loves you back. I wouldn't question a blessing like that - especially if you deserved it, man!!!Congratz for being plugged into the love cycle, Dean. -Al

[deankripp]

Quote:I guess MUZAK was written on one of those ping pong balls that fell from the skiesExactly Bob!!!!!;-)

[matto]

Great story Dean...I'm also one of those people who just loves to write MUSIC and doesn't care much what kind of label others might put on it...I'm with Suz, to me the definition of selling out is doing something you hate, just to make money. By that definition there are a LOT of sell-outs out there in regular working America ...but you're not one of them... Hope to meet you at the Rally... Matt