You're me as a black woman a black woman wears where the same hustle. You know, it's very good. I'm like I met me yeah, I feel the same way. So first off. I just want to say welcome to the podcast before we jump into the episode. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and what you can expect I have been in the business now for coming up on 30 years what we're going to to talk about in this podcast or things that go on in my day-to-day life whether it be as a manager whether it be as a consultant whether it be as someone who is creating products that's helping musicians all over the world. If there's something going on in the industry, we're going to talk about it. If there's a strategy that needs to be taught we're going to talk about it. And if there's some way that I can help get you closer to your goal. Then you're in the right place because that's what we are going to talk about here on the music industry blueprint podcast. Now, let's jump into the Sewed helping you navigate the music industry. Here's Rick Barker with the music industry blueprint podcast. All right, so I have excited at this episode because there comes a time when enough people say you need to meet somebody you need to meet somebody you need to meet somebody and this somebody for me was Felicia Ewing she is known as music Queen and she was doing some amazing and is doing some amazing things in the Nashville area. Just kind of a lot like me when I tease everybody and say we're not just country anymore. But when I had a chance to finally sit down with her what I felt was this servant's heart another person like me that loves to help loves to serve loves to teach loves to educate but also isn't going to be as you, you know, they're going to not just there's a what there's a lot of people that will tell you you need to do that. She need to do this and then you go great. How do you do it? They're like, well, I don't know how you Do it but you need to do it. She's another one of those that knows exactly how to do it as well. So the Leah thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of this and tell everybody a little bit about yourself your background and what got you to this point and then let's just see where this conversation goes. Perfect. Well, like like I said, I'm deleting AKA music queen. I'm a native Nashville Yin, which is rare because we're like an immigrant City Ball people migrated here move here for various reasons, but I've always had a passion and a love for music. This has been my thing. I always knew I wanted to do something in this realm but not really sure how I fit in because I knew I didn't want to be an artist one of those. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so I really didn't know about this whole machine called the business right behind everything and so once I found that out, I was like, okay, let's let's get more involved into this and I got started moved to New York probably in. Five just on a dream and a whim, you know a couple thousand dollars in my pocket and just up and moved no job no real, you know connections or anything and why did you pick New York? Um because at the time it was really only National your Corral AA as far as music is going and I was already in Nashville and that was very country music heavy and I was doing things here, but I couldn't break those doors open with hip-hop. Hop and R&B that I wanted to I'm not managing at the time trying to do shows and it just wasn't this wasn't the play it was it? Okay, so I was just like, let me just go to New York and just see you know what I can make happen what I can learn what I can do, you know didn't really have any major plans. I just know I needed to get a job somewhere in the industry and and you know, once you step out on faith and follow what you're supposed to do the universe and God starts to work on your Be here. So I moved and within three months I had a temp job at Sony label in the disco's department and we discuss is Latin music. So I don't even know what I'm reading or the songs and I'm working with but it's giving me, you know, inside track of what what's happening and what takes place on a major label stance as far as copyright and things are concerned and I'm an ambitious person. So I've always been like I don't you know, People say I just need my foot in the door, right? I just needed my pinky toe. I don't even need my old foot my pinky toe in the door and I would kick that thing why don't trust and that's what happened. So with the disco's was my pinky toe. And then I did a good job, and they asked me to stay on permanently and I moved over to the rca/jive label and started doing copyright clearance. I started working the publishing side. Yes. Yes, and that understand you though my eye and brain were blown wide open to see you. No, what's your favorite artists might be getting paid and what you think they're getting paid what they're actually getting paid two very different things. So, you know, I got to see those like, oh, wow, they're only getting this much. Right? Right, but the perception is, you know, looking a lot like the Instagram in the blue. Yeah makes it seem a little different. So I just fell in love with publishing that really just got me my wheels going in that and Dover right on in. and so from Sony doing copyright clearance, I moved over to Emi and started doing licensing mechanical licensure for Mi publishing and explain to someone what a mechanical license mechanical is the I guess you could say the physical, you know or the dpd now since I miss this era of the Hanks is the actual download is not the stream is the actual download and any kind of physical product vinyl CD things like that and there is a Eat that is established from outside entities. Other than the label the seat CB copyright board sets the rate and right now it's nine point one six nine one for a long time for a long time and how that works is that nine cents is divided by all people who contribute to a song right basically and you divide that up and based on your percentage and so will teach you for a second. So for those of you that stand the radio side that 9.1 on the radio side is divided up only between the Publishers and the songwriters, right? It wasn't until actually here at Nashville Scott borchetta went and worked out separate deals with I heart to get the label and the artist paid the owner of the Masters because the labels would only be able to generate income in the old model from the Mechanicals. They weren't able to get them. Other way, so with the decline of CD sales with the decline of downloads. That's why the record companies started coming in and doing 360 deals because they wanted to participate in other areas since they were actually the bank since they were the ones funding it since it was the artist who was going in debt, but they were the last two entities to be paid. They decided that they wanted to come in and change some things and then that's how the streaming companies came and said, hey label an artist will pay you more than will pay the publication the The writers and we're in a dysfunctional business. Yes, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to teach a quick little bit. But so is you're going to with Sony ATV what brought you back to Nashville? It was just time I did about five and a half years up in New York and you know snow and missing family all kind of state income tax. Yeah, all of that kind of plate apart and was like, okay I've come I've survived New York they say if you can make it. You can make it anywhere true. I think so. Okay. I definitely think so unless you know, I'm just some kind of special person that you know, but I don't I don't think that I think hard work and determination and following your dreams and goals you can do that. And so that's what happened but it was time for me to come back and when I came back I was actually kind of burnt out on music business and things like that. So I just went to work and all this extra stuff that I'm doing now was like not on my radar not a priority. E or anything like that. So let's talk about this extra stuff and let's talk about how it became. Yeah, I already because there's a lot of people that talk about wanting to do things and there's very few that actually do and I tell people I said, I've made a fortune plagiarizing lazy people, you know, because I may not be the first person to write but I'm always the first to finish it. Yeah, you know what I got the reputation of being a finisher you seem to be that same. Yeah. Yeah. It just so happened your me as a black woman a black woman. Here's where the same hustle. You know, it's very good. Like I met me. Yeah, how about feel the same way. There you go. Well, it happened because I was just going to work and a friend of mine is a producer and he was like, I need your help, you know with this publishing. I don't understand it and I was like, you know quite frankly. No, I'm not interested. I've kind of dealt this I'm working. You know, I'm good and it took about two or three asks over a period of time. Finally. He just caught me at the right day in the right moment. And I was just like, all right, fine. I'll do it, but I can't just say I'm gonna do something and did not put all of my energy. That's why you didn't accept it in the beginning because you don't do things happen right way right? It's either All or Nothing. Yeah, a lot of times people take offense to that because they know they may well it would only take me an hour. Yeah, but it would probably take you three hours because you're doing it the right way, right? Yeah. Yeah, okay, so I get that. Yeah you if you're diving in your I'm gonna I've got your all that can't I can't not make sense do it. So once once I decided that and I got out and began to see because if I'm going to do some okay, we need to get out. We need to meet new people. You know, it's a new city. I've been in New York, you know, and I'm back here in Nashville. So I kind of have to get re acquainted per se and once I got out I was like, oh wow, this is a Different Nashville, there's Hip Hop shows going on. There's Farm be shows going on. There's venues that I tried to go to, you know, five and six years ago. We couldn't have a show they're having shows now. So I'm now I'm like, okay. Wow, there's a new there's a new ball game. Let's get this game plan sure been running and so it is kind of an organ. It was just kind of happening. It wasn't any Organization. No. No, it was just kind of happening and I just started to feel like okay. There's a lot of People moving in town, but this is my town. I'm a native. I'm from here and I've been trying to do this. So I need to be one of the Pioneers in helping what's happened here happened in the Urban Music Community because it's one thing, you know for it to be country music and this that and the third but it's another thing when there's an underserved Community that's involved in music as well and this great talent, but they're not getting the look sure and the opportunity and the Notoriety, and so that's where I saw the most need and what I could do and how I can just help and plus it's again. It's my city. I don't want somebody from LA to come in and you know saying yeah that's happening in a lot of the reason that you know, it's like I always tell people it's like Nashville because of where we're located one. We have no state income tax to we've got great schools. My friends will come and visit. I'm from California say man. Everybody's got their teeth. Well, they're just a bunch of And you to New Yorkers. We taught manners to yeah, you know, it's like it's a very creative town. It's like you can take ten meetings in a day. Yeah in Nashville where you could only take two right loss and right, but when I was working at idle, I would take the 7:30 flight out of Nashville. I would be on the CBS lot at 11:30 in the morning because of the time difference. Yeah. I'm in Chicago in an hour. We're in Atlanta right? You hours. All right, New York. Great two hours, Miami. Yeah two hours. We are a great place. It's also a great place for touring because I love the fact that you can hit like ten States right and just a short amount of time by way of vehicle. This creative Community here is absolutely amazing because now with technology Timberland can be yeah in LA and he'll Factor can be in Miami and they can work together on a try. Absolutely. It's like so now that we've been given this opportunity to help show these kids that there's this place now to Showcase your talent, but what I started Seeing and this is what I loved about what the services that you are offering on your website. So my big thing was you go you go create it. I'll teach you how to get rid of it. So I'm teaching people social media. They're building all these numbers. They're getting their music out there and then I'll ask them questions like so how much how much did you make on that? I saw you got this play on Radio Disney and their life and I haven't got a check yet. I'm like that was like nine months ago, right? You didn't get your soundexchange check and they're like What's Happening exchanged and I'm Like okay, so I've been teaching you how to get rid of it, but we never taught you how to get it. Yeah, those registered probably yeah, there's money out there but we have to know who to pay. Yeah, and and they're not going to track you down. You have to let her know and what a lot of people don't understand is I like well, I'm with ASCAP around with BMI, right? They don't collect money for my heart. Yeah Sirius XM and internet radio. It's like my people don't even really understand that because when I talk to creators and I say, okay. Who does your publishing who does that? Oh, I'm with ASCAP and well as sorry, I hate to break that to you. So maybe I just do yourself as a publisher and they most have not they've only registered as a writer and they don't even really understand how to do a registration online. You know, they've just kind of signed up because that's just what it is reported that they just heard. That's what you're supposed to do. I'm supposed to get with ASCAP or BMI, you know, and that that's the extent of Of what they they know what I've shared with them. As I said, there's this also a little box from CD baby. There's companies out there that will do but you have to check the box. Yeah. They just can't determine decide. They're going to act as your pleasure. Yeah. What do you mean? I'm my own publisher. I don't have a publishing deal. You all have publishing deals. You you are the father sir. So set yourself up as a business thing, right that service then has that's kind of like its it can take them hours to do it or it could take you an hour, right? Do as I tell people you pay for your time, you know, there's nothing technical that I know the right. Yeah go online and buy exactly go on and learn you could do all this stuff do it, but what you can't but I was tell people and I try to say this very humbly as I said listen, you can't have my experience. I'll lease it to you, right? You can't go out and duplicate what Taylor? Yeah, you can't go out of duplicate what the LIE has done you but you have the ability to borrow our knowledge or lease our knowledge. What we save you is headache. Well we save you is heartache. Well we save used is it's like I have these people that come to me and this pains me. I'll speak on stage come up. Oh my gosh, man. I wish I would have met you 10 years ago, and I'm like, you know what? I probably couldn't help you 10 years ago 10 years ago was a good old boy. Yeah working. I'm not a good old one ten years ago the technology that I'm teaching you now. Wasn't there so learn it when you learn it, but then be sure to implement that you use it. Yeah, what's been the biggest frustration when it comes to promoting hip hop in Nashville. Um, the promotion is not the thing. It's the follow-through from the business Community because that's my biggest frustration and explain so, you know, we can get people and I come across some what you're doing is great for the community. We love Love it. Keep it up. But I'm like, okay. What kind of deal can we make? What are you willing to contribute to this? Are you willing to open up and do a publishing deal? Are you willing to do a record deal? Are you willing to give us sink or whatever the case may be? That's that's my frustration. Don't pat me on the back and say do it. You're doing a great job Pat me on the back and say hey, let's do business, right? You know that that's my personal frustration. So let me ask you this. So let's play The therapist for a sec. Okay, if they're okay lay down. All right what so one of the things that I spent a lot of time on what psychology and human behavior? Okay as these businesses everyone's asking them for something. Everyone has a story everyone has the next thing ya what has this? So what I started doing was coming in and finding ways that go back to your Pinky toe story say okay what? I don't need an advance. Hmm, right? I don't need admin help right I could do that. I don't I don't need your money. I don't need your admin. Help. What I need is your relationships? Yeah, I need is someone that can help me open a door? What kind of deal could we structure the right an official to both of us? All I need you is to introduce me one time. Yeah, that's all I need you to do. Yeah. I don't I don't because what people here in this town. Especially no matter what genre it is is when we show up they go more work. Yeah, I don't most of them are underpaid. Yeah, most of them are overworked. Yeah, because you enter in. Yeah exactly. So when you can flip the script and say listen, I so much appreciate the support that you've been given to us. Here's exactly what I need. And then what you tell them what you don't need or the things that they think that would be the thing of like who will shit if you don't need that. Yeah. I'm all in. Yeah. It's like I just need an internet. Reduction, you know, I know that you are not in a position to do this because if you were you would now you're kind of thrown it on them to guilt a little bit too. Damn I could do this but you know, but here's here's exactly what it is that I need and then start with that. Okay, and then go back and ask for a little bit more, you know, it's like because you you relieve a lot of their work because of what you know, how oh, yeah, so when I was in radio and I got hired by big machine records, I would go in and people are like, how is You're getting these radio stations to do all this stuff I said is because I was them I know yeah, yeah. Yeah much work. They're doing I show up with it already built. They just got to insert call letters of put it on the air, right? I've done the production. I've got the ideas. I've done the research. I've done all this stuff. So I think because you're one of the very few that has the skill set that you could do a lot of the jobs. Yeah of the people you're approaching. Oh, yeah, you just need their bank that or you need their connection and that's the approach. I would okay with this is They look I'll take all this off the table. Here's what I need to do. And this is what we're willing to participate deal. No deal. All right, perfect. I'll tell ya I have a I have a lot of people, you know, it's one of those things. I laugh it's it's frustrating because I can go to Toronto and I'll sell out of bed you right? I'm here in Nashville. Yeah crickets. Yeah. It's like everybody here has this expectation entitlement. Yeah model. Do you run into that and Hip Hop side to side? Yeah, it's a thing of you serve your community and as they are expected and then it's like most of my most of my clients are like you said New York, you know Jersey they none of my clients that are on paper are in Nashville. Mostly okay, they are external and they've come from word of mouth and things like that. So, I think it's a thing of your Family, you know, it's like, you know, that's just my my sister, you know, there's that but your sister is looked at like a major player from somebody outside. So I think that's kind of what it is with in the the the city of you know, if you're here and your community is here. It's like oh I got access to you anytime or anything like that. So I don't put as much emphasis on needing to come Giada about it because You're always here. You always around your accessible kind of right situation. You can fix that. Like I did it's like I only meet with clients who have come into my world. So yeah, if they've purchased one of my programs they're the only ones that are allowed to get consultation time. And the reason that I tell people that is because I learned the hard way every dad and their daughter wanted to pick my brain and take me to lunch. Then I would give them all this work that needed to get done they would ever do it. Yeah, and it was because all they wanted me to say was oh my gosh, I think your daughter's great. I'll introduce you to Mike Scott borchetta and Andy Goodman. Yeah, that's usually not the case. Right? Most of them aren't ready there needs to be this development. So I'm like I can buy my own lunch, you know, it's like an I can never get that time back. Right? What I tell people is that what I'm going to tell you there's work that's going to need to be done. I need to make sure you have the right tools so that way you're not wasting your $300 to sit down with Yeah, well, I'm not wasting that our because I learned a long time ago not all monies the right money, right just because someone can afford your time doesn't mean you want to spend time with them. That's right. Who yeah, I wish I had that lesson go back a long time ago, but I think what's interesting with what it is that you do is that you're providing a much-needed service on the front end. Yeah, that's going to allow them to get back in. Yeah, so talk a little bit about what you're doing with your own company right from now on how we could drive to no matter where you are in the world. That's right. You know, that's right. It's all Universal. That's right. So my my business is publishing Administration so and it can also be publishing depending on where you at and what you're comfortable with sure. So I try to explain it to people is that you own the Pizza Hut, it's your business. You're hiring me to come in and manage you you know, you want me to set the schedules for everybody things like that, but I am not the owner of your business. So it's the same thing. With the publishing you are the owner of your publishing. You're going to hire me to come in and do the paperwork and make sure everything is set up properly so that when your song is getting played or streamed or something like that, you can just know that everything has been done on the on the front end so that when it comes time, you'll be able to be in a position to collect and that's making sure you're registered as a publisher and a writer with your PR. Oh, make sure you have a PR make sure you have all their service. Yeah. Well, they'll fill out the paperwork. I have a little onboarding form that you would you know fill out and it asks you various questions and things like that and I take that information and do what I need to do to make sure your setup as like I said a writer and and a publisher because most people just set themselves up as a writer. There's two income streams that come in for that. So you want to make sure you collect on on both and your PR o is only going to collect your performance stuff. That's a real radio tube television, right? Right and and also your live performances. So when you are doing your shows or whatever it's a thing you have to go in and do say I play I play this venue. These are the songs. I played this is how much time I played. This is what I charged at the door, you know, okay all of that stuff so that you can then begin to collect not only from if the venue's paying you 50 bucks to get on stage or whatever you can start to collect your back end and also it's a great way to track because if You're just doing out here gigging. You may lose count that you've done 50 gigs in a year, but you've registered every one of those performances. Now you have actual data to back up. What where you've done the last year, you know, so you want to have that as well. So when someone comes and say hey, so what have you been doing this last year? Oh I've been gigging but this is really what I've been here here here and this is you have the actual proof to show that so that's just one aspect. There's other aspects where I can help. Be with co-writing agreements, you know you and she Split Sheet you're doing all that stuff. You're hiring a producer to do some stuff. I have producer agreements just all kinds of things that are going to help you in the one in the realm of publishing and songwriting, you know and stuff like that. So it could be copyright registration with the Library of Congress, you know, all of those types of things and even trying to help facilitate self publishing deals in other countries. He's because as cap can collect in foreign territories, but sometimes it's better to have it collected in that territory because as calf has a lot to do right and they can't believe members. They may not be able to collect every penny on your behalf. So sometimes having a sub publisher in a territory to collect direct is beneficial and every country is different every copyright law in that country is different. So you're dealing with a lot when it comes Was to your neighboring rights and international royalties and stuff like that. So you want somebody to kind of understand? So for those of you that always say, I just want to create my heart then you need to call her that way you can focus on creating the art and you don't have to deal with well, that's where I think sometimes people make mistakes is like they get so freaked out about why don't want to give this person this and I don't want to pay for this you're gonna pay for it gonna pay for one-way. That's right. Even you gotta pay for it by missing out on it and it's it's and you know some territories that There's a statute of limitations on how long you can collect. There's nothing like box money. Yeah, that whole little thing is. Yeah. That's a whole box of money. There it is that Sound Exchange has that they have no clue right after a certain amount of time. It goes to the people that did register it properly and it gets divvied up behind up. Yeah. That's the saddest part. Yeah. Well man. I am so excited to be able to watch your growth and look and you success anything we can do to support we're all in and for those of you that may have other questions. Ends or need to reach out. She also offers consultation. You can find out everything from her website. I'll make sure that it's available in the show notes spell it out for ya because it is missing a letter. Yeah, so it's music Queen w-w-w dot the music Queen.com th e mu Z IQ you een the music Queen and you can find me on Instagram under that Twitter under that website. Under the link it all that stuff. You'll find her and I am so stoked for you and I'm excited to see what comes from this. Thank you. I really am because I'm excited that there's a lot of people that can use your help. There's a lot of people that don't know what they don't know and this may have been a light bulb moment. Yeah a lot of them. So if this is your first time listen to the podcast welcome head on over to my website Rick Barker.com while you're there grab a free copy of the book and if you're an artist take the assessment find out where your Answer the questions honestly, and then I'm going to give you some tips and tricks on how you can move yourself forward to that next level because that's what this is always about. It's what's next soon as you get into the door. What's next soon as you achieve this what's next? So have yourself a fantastic one and we'll talk on the next episode. Ciao. I hope you enjoyed this episode to the music industry blueprint podcast. Be sure to subscribe and tell a friend remember there is no one-size-fits-all model. Model when it comes to the music industry, so check out my website and Rick Barker.com take the quiz and I will send you information specific to you to help make sure that you are on the right track. You've been listening to the music industry blueprint podcast with Rick Barker. You can follow Rick on Twitter at Brick Barker music and remember you don't drown by falling into the water you drowned by staying there.
If you need someone to help you in your music career, so you can focus on your art, then the answer is ‘Muziqueen’ Thalia Ewing. Like Rick, Thalia also has a servant’s heart who loves to help and educate people. Going back home, she saw the need to become one of the pioneers to help musicians with publishing and songwriting. On today’s episode, Rick and Thalia discuss what and how it is in the music industry today. They also talk about how they help musicians avoid mistakes and save them from frustration, headache, and heartache. “Once you step out on faith and follow what you’re supposed to do, the universe and God starts to work on your behalf.”-Thalia ‘Muziqueen’ Ewing What do you want to hear from the Music Industry Blueprint Podcast? Tell us here! ***Want to be a guest on the Music Industry Blueprint Podcast? *** Send an email to podcast@musicindustryblueprint.com With the following information: Name, website, social handles, questions you would like to ask Rick and contact information Time Stamps: 2:16 - Thalia’s background, her passion for music and why she pursue her dreams in New York 5:40 - What is mechanical licensing 7:41 - The reason why Thalia went back to Nashville and how she became one of the pioneers that help musicians in publishing and other areas of their career 11:49 - Why Nashville is a great place for people in the music industry 12:58 - How most people don’t really understand the ins and outs of the music industry and how Rick and Thalia helps them   16:12 - Thalia’s biggest frustration in her business and Rick’s advise to help her deal with it 20:03 - The problem with people who are not ready to do the work and provide the right tools to succeed in the music business 22:23 - All about the Muziqueen - how Thalia helps musicians anywhere in the world in the areas of publishing and songwriting 26:09 - Why most people create mistakes in their music career Resources:  Scott Borchetta Timbaland ill Factor ASCAP BMI SoundExchange  Connect with Thalia:  www.themuziqueen.com  ---   Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/music-industry-blueprint/message 