Ten useful tips for tenacious artists

My name is Torrio and I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I graduated from John Marshall High School in 1992, and from there slowly started building a career in the music industry. My experiences thus far have left me eager to develop the business skills necessary to succeed in the music industry.

My love for music and expression was evident early on. During high school I often rented studio equipment from a local music shop. I taught myself how to record and mix music and also learned how to create program sequences. By the time I finished high school, I had already written over fifty songs. I had also begun to produce and record many local groups in Cleveland.

When I was twenty years old, I started putting my home recorded cassettes in local record stores under consignment. They never sold very well but it made me feel good that I had something recorded and in a retail store. When I was twenty-three years old, I started recording in a real studio. I also began to meet prominent people in the industry through local contacts.

In 1997, I recorded a cassette single, which was pressed into approximately 100 retail-ready copies. In order to promote the single, I started making phones calls to anyone who would listen. With much persistence, I was able to get a review in a local entertainment magazine, light airplay on a local radio station, and placement of my cassettes at a major record store chain. Although my cassettes were placed only in Ohio, it was still a thrill to see my music in a store in the mall. Now I felt I had a stepping stone to get other places. From there I joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ("ASCAP"), an organization that tracks members' music and makes sure they get paid when it is played on the radio, on television, and in clubs. I then started a music publishing company for my own music and began recording brand new material. I recorded about eight new songs and began mailing them out to record labels. Several rejection letters came back but I was not ready to give up. Eventually, I received a call from the CEO of Rival Records, an nationally-distributed independent label located in Lorain, Ohio. During our initial meeting, the CEO of Rival Records told me that the company was looking for fresh talent. He said that he saw my potential, but thought that I should intern at the label for awhile before any contracts were signed just to make sure that I would fit in. I interned for about two years and I did everything. I made calls to radio stations promoting the latest singles and set up appearances and in-store autograph sessions in Ohio and other states. My main job, however, was to make sure records got to djs in clubs all over the United States and then monitor how well audiences responded to particular records. I was in heaven. I learned so much. Before interning at Rival Records, I had no idea how much effort went into releasing a CD.

All through my internship, I continued to record. Finally, I signed a deal with Rival Records in 2000. After I signed the contract, things started happening. I did several interviews with the Plain Dealer and was featured twice on Channel 3 News. I traveled with the label to do promotions and did autograph sessions at skating rinks and record stores. I actually started to get recognized by people. Despite this early publicity, it has been about two years now and my CD has yet to be released. Due to some internal changes at Rival Records, my CD has been put on the back burner for the time being. Although I am disappointed that my CD is not out yet, I am grateful that I was able to have the experiences that I did.

Since I have had a slight taste of the music business, I know how hard it is to succeed and I have seen how many artists flop. I am also well aware of how record labels can be deceptive or even heartless when you are no longer their main focus. These realizations are what have led me to decide to further my education. I would like to take business courses so when and if I do get my chance to shine, I will be prepared for any obstacles that come my way. Even if I do not succeed as an artist, with the knowledge I will gain, I will be able to work on the business end of the industry I love so much.

I have some advice for anyone trying to make it in music.