Networking Without Networking: The Power of Music Communities

During a recent recording session in Nashville, we were reminded just how small the music world really is! 

In an industry that can often feel remote, and at times pretty lonely, community matters more than ever. 
From village choirs to Facebook groups and organisations like the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), there are endless ways to connect with like-minded musicians/composers, find collaborators, and build lasting relationships.

The truth is, the best networking rarely feels like networking. We talk about how real opportunities come from simply showing up, contributing to a community, and letting connections grow over time.

#musiccommunities #musicindustry #networking #musicnetworking #composernetworking

Transcript

Intro

SPEAKER_02 0:00

What is a community? What is a community? And your best Dick Van Dyke. Hello, Mary. When I get to meet somebody in the musical community, the first thing we do is establish mutual. What do you know?

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Where else can you maybe meet a collaborator, maybe meet someone who can get you a gig, or at least you can talk about not having gigs together, or you know what VSTs do you exactly. What'd you think of the new Pro Tools update? You know, met my wife doing community theater. Get out there, folks.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Welcome to Two Composers Two Continents, a podcast about our lives making music together and the people we meet along the way.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

You can find us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook at Two Composers Two Continents using the number two and all audio podcast platforms.

What is a community?

SPEAKER_02 0:52

Yeah, and don't forget to like, to subscribe, leave us a comment. It really helps a review. And today, today, Jeffrey community. Community. So we're going to talk about musical communities a bit. We're going to talk about Just communities in general, I think. That's fair to say. So this is really about what we even call a community, why we want them, what the types of communities we're a part of. More musically focused, probably. But yes, that's weird. So how did this come about?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

If it was to do with the children, so we were just in Nashville recording. The brass guys, in particular the guy, the contractor for the brass, you were talking to him, and he knew a lot of mutual people that we've worked with and that you know in the UK.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Yeah, I might have his name. I don't might have the pronunciation wrong. I think it's Roy A. G or A.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

G. Okay. Yeah. And um so and Roy knew some Chicago folks, and so we just got talking about what a small community the music community can sometimes seem. It does seem like that. You know, how you can work with someone here or in Nashville and they're like, oh, I know, you know, I know Jim Galaretto, or I know, you know, these Chicago dudes.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: And you know, it's interesting. I find myself doing this that when I get to meet somebody in the musical community, the first thing we do is establish mutual Who do you know? Who do you know that I know and that we can mutually go, okay, we've got something in common. That's so true. Yeah, so he was he was saying, Oh, I I know this guy Tom Walsh in London, and I've worked with this other guy, Tom. If you're watching hi, you're you're not watching, you're out making music. But um, yeah, and but I've worked with these guys and I know these guys in London, or as you say, and it was really interesting because it becomes a badge of honour almost that in the UK, we're a part of a group and we you band together, and it does. It feels it feels surprisingly small. I mean, I know that part of this podcast is about talking about the many layers and the different parts, but some of the communities get smaller and smaller and smaller, and it's not about people who work in POP, it's about trombonists or just brass brands. Right, right, right, or really small niche things.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

That's what yeah, like the brass guys, it's uh you wouldn't know the other brass guys. And I mean, I'm sure that's it's a huge generalization, and of course, but that these small communities in a larger community exist. You know, because we don't I mean hip-hop and you know bluegrass. I mean, there's a million genres of music that we know nothing about and don't run in.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

I like the way you've put those two together. I would like to hear those.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Well, there you go. I mean, that's like z ying yin and yang.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

But I would like to hear those put together. I'm sure it's up there. But yeah, but but we don't run in those communities. But the ones we run in, which because of the nature of the music involve more live musicians as as well as production, it's about people near knowing people. Yeah, exactly. And that's that's I guess that's we were trying to come up with uh what is a community what is a community is a community in your best Dick Van Dyke. Hello, Mary. We but you said it was a group of like-minded people. And I think obviously if you've got geographical communities, you may not be like-minded at all. But so you know, you can have a community where you live, and you it may be that you you know you get together to talk about you know where the rubbish gets put out. I'm not using the word trash, I don't care if I'm in Hollywood. This is I'm I'm a Brit through and through. But yeah, yeah, but it could be anything to do with local stuff, but in terms of what we're talking about, it's music, it's like-minded stuff, yeah.

The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL)

SPEAKER_00 4:21

Right? So so yeah, so we were well, then we got talking about a larger conversation about communities, and and we are uh I've been involved with the SEL for a while, which is another community.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Well, a whole let's go backwards here because we've never explained what the SCL is. I know, well, we're gonna do that right now. So let's do that.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

The SCL is an organization called the Society of Composers and Lyricists. Um, I haven't been a member that long. A couple years, really, maybe three years now, and got involved with the the folks in Chicago in trying to start a Chicago chapter of the SEL. I know we wrote down what the SCL is here. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

So do you want me to read it out? Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Okay. The SCL is the premier nonprofit organization for professional composers, lyricists, and music creators who work in visual media such as film, TV, video games, and musical theater. It serves to advance the interests of these artists by promoting community, providing educational seminars, and um yeah, it's it's uh it's the largest single group of music creators in the industry. Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

In the entertainment industry. So, I mean, that's just an example of a music community that that we're both involved with now because you you have joined and are hopefully getting involved with the London chapter.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Um there's a talk of there being a London chapter, and I'm I'm very much hoping to be involved in that. Uh at time of recording, we're still that's a discussion point. Yeah. And we do have other organizations, it should be said, in the UK, uh like the Ivers Academy, um, but still, still I think there is room for another organization, and I'm looking forward very much to being involved in that.

Why be in a community?

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Well, and I think you know, just being involved in an organization in general, I think, at least for me, for the SEL, I mean, I'm a member of the Academy as well, the recording academy. And I mean, I've been involved with other things along the way. And to me, it it's always so refreshing to be in a room with people who one, you can have a conversation about really perhaps specific things of you know, you know, we can talk about plug-ins and you know, and really geeky stuff. Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Oh, what what VSTs do you exactly? What would you think of the new Pro Tools update, you know? Geez, really honestly, I've been in those rooms. Yeah. I I go the people who do another sidebar, but uh the people who do tech support for us. Hello, yellow technology. Um, I go to a yearly thing and there are endless, yeah. What did you think of version 3.3 of things that other people would be like, oh god, do I have to do this? But it excites everybody because where do you meet those people?

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Yeah. Right? Well, and yeah, I mean, where else can you develop relationships with people and maybe meet a collaborator, maybe meet someone who can get you a gig, or at least you can talk about not having gigs together, or you know, yeah, and you it's not going into it transactionally saying, I'm here to meet somebody I can get out from. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

But that said, you just open yourself up to possibilities. You just don't know who you're gonna meet. Yeah. And I mean, we were at an event the other day, and we were stood in a, you know, in in honoring uh a composer at the time, and um yeah, we were stood talking to people, and you meet so many people who was like, Oh, I know a guy that you know, and yeah, and and you know, I've known him for 30 years, and all of a sudden you're having a discussion with somebody, and you just don't know what networks you're opening yourself up to. But also, you're right, being able to talk about commiserating about there's nothing around at the moment, and what am I doing? You just don't feel alone.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, you know, well, and and I think that um at least for me, and maybe this will help some young people out there, if young people ever watch this crazy podcast we're doing, but to to go into these situations, knowing that there the possibility exists of getting a job and the possibility exists of meeting a collaborator, uh, but just going into it thinking I just want to be here around these people, you know, not not actively looking for those pitching yourself and oh, can I know I mean because it changes the vibe a little bit, I think. It does.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

I think I think ten years ago, it it may or may not wasn't different for me, but it may have been for some people, but certainly post-COVID, more and more people are working in a room by themselves. Yeah and it can be lonely. And and you don't know. I mean, you know, you can work and you might not meet people one week to the next. And all of a sudden you go to a place and you're meeting other people who are doing they know what you're going through. Yeah. And they do or or they don't do exactly what you do, but a related thing. Right, right. That's you know, it's a support network as well. Absolutely, yeah. So that's really important. Yeah.

Facebook groups

SPEAKER_00 9:20

So um So the SCL, good thing, get involved. But so in talking about this, and we're doing we're doing this FYC thing for the Grammys, which has been interesting to say the least. Yes. But we got involved with these Facebook groups, right? And I know you you have used Facebook groups for years.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

I I want to talk about Facebook groups specifically, but I'll hold mine and No, go ahead. That's so I find Facebook a sort of interesting bedfellow, if you will, because it can be a huge time waster because I'll start looking at things that have nothing to do with anything. Social media in general, right? Yeah. But there's another side to Facebook, and that is it it's not dissimilar. This is a weird analogy, but stick with me here. It's not dissimilar. We used to have, I don't think this was a thing in the US, but in the UK, we would have two or three TV channels. That was it. Yeah. There was no specific This is when we were kids. Yeah. I mean, even up to when I was, even not just kids, but I mean up to the age of sixteen, seventeen, there might have been four channels at that time. Unless you had cable.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

We didn't have it. Right. There wasn't any. So there was no specific niche. I really want to watch pickleball TV or that wasn't a thing. No, yeah. It was all general. Yeah. And this is a weird segue, but this is similar. Okay. What Facebook has done is allowed groups of like-minded people to section off and make a Facebook group about smaller and smaller niche things. So they could be as specific as I use Pro Tools and I want to talk to people who use Pro Tools. And that could be because I want to say, can you believe I they haven't done this? But it can be very specifically, how do I find this function? So it could be anything. Yeah. But you know you're talking to somebody else that uses what you use. But that's also the case for I'm a composer. Or I'm a composer of visual media, or I'm a composer of visual media for animation, or really more and more and more and more niche, right down to. I mean, I'm a member of a group, um, and I've name checked Dan Graham before on the podcast. But Dan wrote a book called The Composer's Guide to Library Music, and there is an associated Facebook group. At first, that was about the specifics of the book. Right. Then it became more than that to me anyway. If I want to talk to other library music composers, I'm not in a group of other library music composers, but everywhere in that group is interested in writing production music or is already doing it or is really into it for 20 years, and it I know I know publishers who are in that group. I know our publishers are. So it's a resource. So it becomes a resource. Thank you. That's a good way of putting it. So as well as being a place to meet people, if I want to know something, I put it up there. And I also give back. I see questions up there, and I can answer the question up there. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

But where else are you going to find that? It's I mean, thank God it's uh it's a unique thing for our time, right? That that I mean it's been around for a while now, obviously, but um But I mean it's it's so specific.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

I mean, we talked last time about these these tablets that we use, these remarkable tablets. I'm on groups of very specific how to make a Canva template for the right size in one group. You are working it. Well, the thing is, I don't have to troll through if I want to find something out, I don't have to go on Google and be searching. I just go on a group, I ask a question, somebody answers the question, and then I go back to it when I need it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

I mean yeah, I mean, honestly, you can use that for uh, you know, fixing your toilet too. Fixing your toilet. That's my point, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

It's a community of like-minded people or anything you want to find out. Yeah, so there's Facebook groups. So I think those are very useful, worth looking at.

Examples of communities

SPEAKER_00 13:20

I totally agree. So I made a small list of groups that I've been in in my life that have meant something to me. And some of them are I was only in the group because of the place I was working, which is interesting, which leads me to um our audio network discussion because I was thinking of how one's work can sort of sometimes be considered a group, right? Yeah. Um, and I do feel like uh the the people we work with via audio network is a community that I I like of like-minded people that I feel, you know, uh kinship with, and that it doesn't always have to be strangers, it can be right, you know, it's a mind shifter how you look at something, but yeah. Yeah, it can be sometimes you dip in and out. Yeah. Um, so I used to work at a mallet company about Mike Balter Mallet's, um, and we would go to PASIC every year, Percussive Art Society International Convention, and that was a group of percussionists, and it was about the same thing community, advocacy, teaching, um, which is just such a cool thing. If you're a drummer or percussionist, look it up, go to PAS, it's such a fun show. Um, and we used to go to the Midwest Music Conference in Chicago, which again is as a conference, and people are using it to sell their goods and perform and stuff. But it but again, it's all about community, right? Bringing people together who love the same stuff.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

You know what? You've just reminded me of something that I've written no notes on and hadn't thought of, and it's just jumped into my head. And I'm gonna just look over here for a minute. I want to say hello to the Honley Mail Voice Choir. There you go. I am a proud member of a choir. Look them up online. I was never gonna join a choir. I'm busy, I've got other stuff on, and I do lots of musical stuff. So my father-in-law, Gareth, hi Gareth, um moved in next door and they've always been in choirs. So he just joined the choir. He went to go to the choir and I said, Well, I'll come with you just to get you bedded in, just settled in. He didn't need that at all, but I went along and I've stayed. Yeah. But my point being that there is a community around this choir. We go to events and dinners, and there's an archery tournament next week, and there's completely nothing to do with the reason. So it's become a group of friends. Right. And in fact, even this morning, they I got a message on a WhatsApp group. Where are you? What you're doing? So I was putting pictures of the canyon we were at yesterday. I can't even remember the name of the canyon we were at yesterday, but I was putting pictures and telling people what I'm doing, nothing to do with the choir, it's a community. Yeah, and interestingly, some people in that community, it might be one of their only communities. Yeah, exactly. And it can be a very valuable thing outside of the reason why you get together. Right. It's a it's a yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

So, yes, I mean that's obviously um I mean everything's a community, right? I mean, church can be a community, uh, you know, the PTA can be a community. Um, and and we started this discussion by talking about music stuff, and and I don't know if people think of it um the same way, but maybe you know, our discussion today will help them reach out and think, oh my god, you know what? I bet you there is a I really like you know playing the oboe, and even if it's just for fun or you know, and I'm gonna find the oboe community out there.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

But but what's interesting, well, uh hook me up because I'm an oboeist. Yeah. Um, but I think the important thing is some people want in-person stuff, some people get freaked out by that and they want it online, but you can find communities in a way that you couldn't. I of all of the terrible, terrible things that happened during COVID, one of the good things that came out are more and more online communities because we had to have them. Right. And so, as well as having communities of people near you, I mean, I'm in communities with people who are all over the world, and you don't even think I don't even think about it as community until we're overtly talking about it. Right, yeah. And then you think, yeah, that's true. I was I was talking to one of the guys who's local to hear, who's an audio network composer, and um I mean we chat occasionally, not often, but we chat occasionally, but without that sense of you know, we belong to the same thing. And and equally talking audio network, we were at a function the other day and we met somebody who works for the company who was saying, Oh yeah, I know you think how do you know me?

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Okay, stalker.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Yeah, but we've never met. Not really. But no, yeah, but we've never met. Yeah, but there is this community of stuff. There you go. You don't even always know that it's there until you look. Until you look. So very interesting. Yeah. Is there anything else you want to add? No, I think this has been great. I think the important thing is for me, and I'm not gonna dwell on this, but over the years I've had my mental health issues, um, and isolation is a bad thing. I don't care who you are and how much you think I like being by myself, isolation is just bad. It's not good. You don't have to go in person to stuff, you don't have to put yourself into a position that you're not comfortable. But for what it's worth, I think being prepared to talk to somebody, and I don't mean a a professional. You mean as far as it's community? Physically talk to somebody. Yeah. Whether it's text talk, whether it's actually talk. But this is good for it can be helpful. It's good for you, bro. I think it's really important to actually be part of a community in any form. I think it's it's it's important.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

I met my wife doing community theater. Get out there, folks. Do something.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

There you go. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

All right. Hey, I hope you enjoyed our little talk about communities. Why not, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Until the next time. All right, see ya. See ya.