It's not about the money ... it's about the music
by Nils Anders Erickson

First, let's start off with the presumption that you have a couple of friends, some instruments, and you have just written a big hit. Let's also assume that your other twenty friends really like your new song and know the words better than you do. You may think, deep in your heart, that your new song may be crap, but……crap sells. Music is a gift; your music is a gift. Give the gift away, kick it out, and see where it takes you.

Conclusion….it's time to record.

Rainbow Recording Studio is an independent recording studio. You pay for the value received. We do not require you to sign a twenty-six-page document that could potentially take your music, your name, and your children's children's share of your earnings.

For the purpose of this article I can only offer you some free advice. My number one suggestion to you is this - Do not sign ANYTHING without first reading, then re-reading the fine print. Have an attorney review the document if you can afford it. My brother signed with a local label and they changed the CONCEPT, the titles to all the songs and stretched an incredible forty-minute project into a sixty-minute turd. (A colorful polished turd but a turd none-the-less) Pool your resources, buy equipment (at Rainbow of course - <shameless plug>) and practice, practice, practice. It's better to own your own tunes until you sign with a major independent label or a major label if the label is willing to bankroll the whole project.

Case in point: 311 came into Rainbow and recorded Unity and Hydroponic. Initially, they were just going to rent some equipment and record at home. When I found out that they were going to press 1000 CD's, I encouraged them to record at a "real" recording studio since CD's made at home may haunt an artist forever if they ever made it big. J.E. Van Home kept the tight garage sound for which 311 is famous, but made it radio friendly. (Drummers make excellent engineers since they care about all the little things). After recording their first CD at Rainbow, that initial pressing of 1000 CD's got them noticed. Originals of 311's first CD sell for $400 on Ebay and in Japan. 311 has recently reissued Unity and Hydroponic as "Omaha Sessions" and are available at Rainbow Music, Homers and on 311's website. For an initial investment of a few thousand dollars, 311 has enjoyed a return of several hundred thousand dollars.

Rainbow's vocal booth was designed by the same people that designed A & R in New York and many other large format studios in the seventies. It's considered one of the best vocal booths between Chicago and Los Angeles. Boyz II Men actually tried to buy Rainbow when they recorded their first Christmas album here. The Beastie Boys spent two days at Rainbow. They said it was one of the coolest music stores in the world because of the extensive vintage collection.

The basics of recording are fairly simple. The microphones plug into the console. The easiest recording is two-track live; if you want a simple demo, no OVERDUBS and that initial impact. The more elaborate your music, the more tracks you need. The sound could be affected by any number of effects units, then the sound is sent to the two track (reel to reel, DAT, or Alesis Masterlink) on the multitrack (24 track-two inch- analog - reel to reel - or up to 24 tracks of Digital Alesis M-20's). Both are considered industry standard. More vocals, guitar, etc could be added anytime - that night, next week, even year's later. When you have everything you want recorded, then you mix down, adding effects to create a pressable product. Initial pressing can be one or two copies, two hundred, or even a thousand.

Now that you have the basics of Rainbow & the recording process, here are a few tips. If you only have words, you are a poet (not a bad thing). If you are a poet, find a guitar player or a pianist to collaborate with. Always put your songs in the best shape possible. If you are a songwriter and you don't sing, work the songs up with a singer/guitarist. If you have words and a melody line, you are a songwriter. If someone helps you, they are the arranger. If they write the melody and you only write the words, you are collaborating at worst, the person you collaborate with receives half the rights to the copyright. At best, you have a song that gets published, tour the world, and ride the wave for the rest of your life.

When assembling your ENTOURAGE, pick people who have potential. "Entertaining" and "possessing potential" is more important than "arrogant and gifted. You will have to spend many hours in a crowded van with these people. Pick people you enjoy talking to, hanging out with, and writing tunes together. Let everything you write FLOW, Write everything down, and don't agonize over it.

Remember, it's all about the music. If you are doing it for the money (ha ha), to get chicks or guys or to get better connections to drugs, than at least pretend to be having fun.

Nils Anders Erickson - Owner Rainbow Recording Studios.

Nils has written several hundred songs and has had several songs played in dozens of foreign countries as well as on US radio. Nils has performed at hundreds of venues accross the country including the House of Blues and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. His band, Paddy O' Furniture tours frequently and has been mentioned on Jay leno's Tonight Show.