Sector by Sector: Rock This Town
Local music producers have built a sound business in Kansas City.
By Kate Leibsle
Drive around town, and you can’t help but notice the larger-than-life face of Tech9ne on several billboards. Hit a Kansas City night club some Friday or Saturday evening, and you could hear Angela Hagenbach, Marilyn Maye, Dave Stephens, Ida McBeth or Kelly Hunt playing live. But regional artists aren’t just playing local shows, they’re also recording CDs in local studios. Even international names such as Jewel, Korn and Bryan Adams have laid down tracks in Kansas City.
When you think music production—that is recording artists and studio production houses—you might not think of Kansas City, but you should. Today’s music scene is such that Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York are no longer the only places recording artists are making music, or where small businesses are making a mark in the industry.
But to make that mark, studio production houses in Kansas City are branching out to do more corporate work, more commercials and to embrace new technologies and the new ways consumers are finding and listening to music.
Industry Trends
Music is huge business in the United States. Hoovers reports there are more than 2,600 companies in the industry, generating more than $15 billion in revenue. Although most of the industry is concentrated in the hands of large companies, such as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and EMI, there are a growing number of smaller music labels, production houses and independent groups involved in the industry.
Overall, the industry has become much more decentralized in recent years, according to industry insiders. People are able to build their own studios in homes and basements, and independent and small labels don’t have to make a huge monetary investment to put out some high-quality work. While that might seem to make it difficult for professional studios to stay afloat, some think the two can work side-by-side.
“There’s been an onslaught of home studios,” said Chuck Chapman, owner of Chapman Recording and Mastering. “We embrace that and try to help folks with that. We get calls from people all the time wanting advice and help.”
But isn’t the influx of home studios threatening to his business? Chapman doesn’t think so, because he knows that serious musicians need serious music production. They can’t get that from an amateur home studio. In fact, the home-based amateurs do drive business his way. Often people will record in their homes and then come to his group for mixing and mastering of a CD.
“They just don’t have the experience of a professional engineer,” he said.
Dana Detrick, co-owner of Serious Vanity Music/Entertainment Resource Group, said that as both professional and in-house studios have become more sophisticated, they have all had to adapt to industry changes.
Musicians and recording professionals have to look at, and take advantage of, all of the options available for getting their music out, she said.
“It isn’t as easy now as ‘make a demo, sell copies at the local record store, play shows, get fans,’” she said. “You’ve got to be great. You’ve got to be serious, and you have to look at gadgets as opportunities.”
Those gadgets—videogames, phones, movies, the Internet and TV-on-demand—have, indeed, changed the music industry. It’s not just CDs and LPs anymore. The Recording Industry Association of America’s numbers show that CD production was down more than 24 percent in 2008.
The proliferation of online music, iTunes, Amazon.com, etc., has revolutionized the industry. In 2008, there were one billion singles and more than 56.9 million albums downloaded. That online distribution has allowed artists to reach consumers directly and build a fan base without record company support. All those aspiring artists need to record their music somewhere, and independent studios fill that need.
More Than Music
Chapman has been in business for more than 35 years. Today, his headlining musical artist is rapper Techn9ne.
But Techn9ne alone doesn’t pay the bills for Chapman. Like many, he’s had to diversify his business through the years to keep up with the changes in the industry. Branching into corporate work and commercials is a way to stay viable.
“Our philosophy is that we want to do everything,” Chapman said. “That’s the way to stay healthy. If you lock yourself in, when the tide turns, you’re going to starve. New York, LA, Nashville and Atlanta—those markets are big enough for people to be able to specialize. It doesn’t work well here.”
Not being able to specialize in one genre or in just music production is a challenge, Chapman said. Companies such as his have to think about how to equip themselves differently.
“The question is, ‘Are you going to embrace the non-music part of the business?’”
Dan Israel has been in the music business in some way or another for more than 25 years. He’s seen the evolution and has had to move his work to different areas to stay viable. He’s not as optimistic about the overall industry as some.
“When I started, the music industry here was replete with lower budget projects,” he said.
But he said that has changed. With the advent of the Internet, iPods and other distribution channels, it’s easier than ever for musicians, or wannabe musicians, to bypass professionals, like himself, altogether.
“It’s very decentralized,” Israel said. “There aren’t six major studios in town anymore. Those that are around have migrated away from music.”
The industry as a whole needs to adapt to the new marketplace, adjust its business model and think differently about the Internet, music downloads and its delivery system. The days of a few large, mainstream record labels controlling all of the music are likely over.
Detrick knows she has to think differently to stay in business as a small, independent recording outlet. She and her team have to keep up, branch out and be willing to learn.
“You’ve got people who are creating apps for phones, lots of e-learning companies who are developing interactive programming for everything from fundamentals for toddlers to in-house training in the finance industry,” she said. “There’s more music in film, there’s more music online, and we’ve all adapted to provide more, to be at the forefront of it.
“Even tree trimmers and electricians want to be able to engage their customers on their Web sites in new ways, and they’re coming to us.”
It’s a Small World
Kansas City may not be as high profile as the East and West Coasts, but that doesn’t mean the area gets overlooked. Local production studios attract projects from around the world. Take Chapman and Techn9ne for instance. Chapman has worked with big names, including Jewel, Korn and Bryan Adams, on both music and other projects, such as audio books and animated TV productions. Techn9ne and his production company are nationally known and recognized for their work. And Detrick’s studio works with local, national and international clients, as well.
“The interconnectedness of the Internet has opened the floodgates to opportunity,” Detrick said. “We’ve worked with clients from as far away as Pakistan, and as close as next door.
“The perception of Kansas City may be that we’re not a big player in entertainment, but I think that’s changing, too.”
Detrick said there are more great artists around town than ever, and the area’s reputation continues to grow as local acts take the national and international stage more. That’s demonstrating to more people that it can be done: You can break out as a star from Kansas City.
Dan Askew with Second Nature Recordings agrees that being successful in Kansas City is doable.
“Kansas City has a thriving music scene,” he said. “I am constantly amazed at how much it has grown in the past 10-15 years. It’s what you make it. If you build your own scene and do your own thing, there’s no reason to go anywhere else.”
Creative Stimulus
The music industry in Kansas City is diverse, and growing. Diversification in the way that consumers are looking for music is forcing production houses to find new ways of meeting market needs.
While the music industry hasn’t been on the list of beneficiaries of the federal Recovery Act, Detrick said a bad economy can be a creative stimulus in itself. Artists still want to express themselves through music, and the studio is where they’ll go to do that.
“If you have nothing to lose, you’ll sink it all into making your studio work.”
Detrick said local studios are helping those local artists, as well as businesses, connect with audiences.
Kate Leibsle is managing editor of KC Small Business. (913) 432-6690 // This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
