Program Length: 1/2 hour
Produced: 1998

Welcome to "Listen Up" 

The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) is happy to provide you with this exciting video about the Canadian recording industry - produced in the familiar style of a fast-paced music video.

This booklet is packed with suggestions on how to incorporate "Listen Up’ into your course of study. Numerous exercises, topic areas, and activities are tailored to multiple grade levels. Together, the video and guide will suit the varied needs of principals, individual teachers, music directors, and guidance department staff, working in grades 6 through 12.

Here are just some of the topics the "Listen Up" video addresses which can lead to a wide range of follow-up discussions, individual & class projects:
An introduction to the recording industryDiscussion about CD technologyComputer & Digital technologies in a sound recordingThe steps involved in making a recordMusic as a form of creative expressionMusic’s differing and overlapping genresManagement and negotiating within the recording industryTeamworkThe business of making music/economics...and riskCareers in the recording industry
Remember this is only a guide and the makers of "Listen Up" encourage you to be creative in developing a learning experience that will be of high interest to your class! 

"Listen Up" Teacher’s GuideWritten by Denis McGrathEdited by Clive VanderBurgh BA, Msc. ARCTWith contributions by Larry LeBlanc and Julia Ann May - Toronto 1996.Design: Edwards Design, edwards@cafe.netLogo by Andrew Young
Some Facts from "Listen Up" 
Where People Work in the Recording Industry:  
33% Retailing & Distribution 
30% Performers, Composers, Writers 
15% Major and Independent Record Companies 
10% Manufacturers 
5% Concert/Touring 
2% Studio & Production Facilities 
5% Everything Else 
(source:Report of the Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Music Industry) 
16,000 people are directly employed by the Canadian recording industry (source: Report of the Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Music Industry)
Canada is the 6th largest music market in the world (source: IFPI)
The sound recording industry in Canada generates annual revenues of over $1.2 billion(source: CRIA [est.])
Teens spend an average of 10.6 Hours a week listening to CDs and tapes (source: Decima Research "Streetbeat" Report)
Recording and marketing an album in Canada can cost more than $300,000 (including graphic arts, promotion, and music videos). source CRIA [est.]
Where does your dollar go when you buy a Compact Disc? :  
12% goes to Manufacturing Costs 
19% goes to Artist & Publisher Royalties 
27% goes to cover Record Company Costs 
9% becomes Record Company Profit 
33% goes to Retailer Costs & Profit 
(source: CRIA[est.]) 

MODULE 1: A VIDEO INTRO TO THE RECORDING INDUSTRY 

Class Sequence: 

DAY ONE: 1. View the video
                2. Q&A - gauge first impressions, class response

DAY TWO: 3. Work on follow up activities

Notes for Discussion (all levels): 

• The video represents a broad spectrum of music - from classical to jazz to pop, to alternative and new music - in an attempt to foster healthy attitudes toward all kinds of music. What are classroom attitudes towards different genres of music - Classical, Jazz, R&B/Soul, Country, Alternative, Folk, Hip Hop, Rap, New Age, Oldies, World Music? • What information did the video provide learners that they perhaps didn’t know before? What surprised them the most?

• Why is it important to buy music, rather than just tape it? What’s wrong with taping a CD? What would happen to artists if people decided not to buy CDs?

Suggested follow up activities: 

Grades 9 &10:

• How much work goes into becoming a successful recording artist?

• How much of a role does luck play?

• How important is teamwork?

• What is the 'value' of recorded music? (Refer to Dennis Tremblay’s
comments about CDs being "like owning a copy of the digital master tape from the recording studio.")

Grades 11 &12 – Longer Term projects:

• Students might examine the macro issues of how music can be a unifying force in society, mold social tolerance, and have a positive impact on cultural sensitivity. Encourage study projects that show the role music has played in protest, political and social campaigns over the past few decades. Possible areas of focus: civil rights, anti-war, generational issues, labour & unemployment, justice, & gender equality.

• Does music lead, or follow society’s views? Does a society ever have to ‘catch up’ to views expressed through music? Trace evolving views of a social issue or attitude through its presentation in song lyrics from different eras (’40-’50s through 1990's)

• How can music be used to persuade (for instance, in commercials?)

• Explore the economic costs and benefits of developing new music. Encourage students to work out a ‘balance sheet’ that shows the costs of developing, making, and marketing a CD. Get hold of a record company’s artist roster to show the relationship of how revenues from "hit" artists subsidize "new" artists. Encourage students to consult record companies, retailers, and music business publications for information in these areas. 

MODULE 2: CAREERS IN THE RECORDING INDUSTRY 

Class Sequence: 

 1. Review & discussion of the careers chart centre spread in this booklet which shows the various areas of responsibility within the recording industry.

  2. Refer to the % breakdown of people working in the industry (see front of booklet).

  3. Allow time for discussion about      • where most of the opportunities seem to be      • what positions might offer the best salaries      • what aspects of the industry seem to have the highest risk relating to possible success.

Suggested follow up activities: 

Grades 6,7,8:

• Have students discuss (or write down) what areas within the recording industry are most interesting (or least interesting) to them, and why.

• Encourage students to find out what general kinds of education they might need to head in that direction by visiting their guidance centre. Have them report their findings back to the class.
Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12:

• Share thoughts on what is attractive about certain careers in the recording business; contrast this with the possible pitfalls. Draw up a pro/con list.

• Roleplay a negotiation between artist and potential manager, or between a manager/record label. Be sure to answer the following questions:
Who will own the publishing rights to the bands’ songs?
How will royalties be split between band members/manager/record label?
What sort of record contract is the band looking for?
What are the band’s/manager’s/record co’s expectations when it comes to touring, time off, radio appearances, recording/video budgets, etc....(research should be done on the types of record contracts, management contracts...encourage students to contact the record companies and management companies of some favourite artists to gather more information.)

• Consider hosting a careers in the recording industry day/Event at your school and inviting other area schools to attend (where feasible.)

• Encourage individuals who express interests in this as a career to look into it further through your guidance centre. Have them report their findings back to the class.

• Have students (group) agree on which area of responsibility is the most interesting to the majority of them and invite someone from the industry who does that job to come in and speak with them.
(HINT: There are provincial music associations that might be of help in locating such a person)

CAREER AREAS WITHIN THE RECORDING INDUSTRY

Songwriting Publishing Performing Artists and Musicians Artist Management Record Label• artists and repertoire (A&R)• marketing-advertising/promotion/publicity• business and legal affairs• accounting and finance• computer and graphic arts• human resources• computer operations Production• producing• sound engineering• studio musician Manufacturing• CD production• plant management• packaging THE CD Distribution Retailing CONSUMER  Related Activities• touring • concert promotion • copyright and royalty administration • radio and television broadcasting • video production • film soundtracks • music press • merchandising

MODULE 3: THE PROCESS OF CREATING + RECORDING MUSIC 

ADDITIONAL MODULES FOR INTERESTED TEACHERS & CLASSES:

Class Sequence: 
 
1. Quickly review what was seen in the video (prior class) relating to the sound board studio mix process & midi overview.

  2.Using a simple microphone to cassette tape and using available (or handmade) traditional instruments, percussion instruments and/or other created sounds, have your students compose their own (melody) piece of music.

  2a.With equipment (where available), set up microphones, small mixer, computer with sound board to tape machine, assign members of a band, and have students compose their own (melody) piece of music.

  3.Examine the lyrics to some favourite songs. What is the main message of the song? Why did the songwriter choose specific words or phrases (for double meanings, rhyming, etc.) Examine the mechanics of the song-repeated choruses, different languages, instrumentation - how is the mood of the song conveyed?

  3b.Have students (individually or in groups) work on writing the words for a new song, and present them to the class.

Suggested follow up activities: 

Grades 6,7,8:

• Have class members listen & evaluate what they like best (or least) about the music they’ve made.

• What type of music does this song sound the most like? Encourage students to research the history/origin of different types of music & report back findings.

Grades 9 & 10:

• Encourage students to research and study the impact of computer technology in the making of music. What does the "digital" world of recording allow artists to do that they could never have done in the "analogue" world?

• Review what "MIDI" stands for and what "digital" means (MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface; DIGITAL - the process of breaking a piece of music down into millions of computer readable bits.)

• If equipment is available, encourage experimentation with sounds, altering sounds, and working with midi technology.

• Embark on listening exercises to compare analogue and digital recordings.

• Split the class into groups and prepare a debate on the following question: Which is more important in a song, the words (lyrics) or the music? Have students back up their point of view by playing and using specific songs as examples. (The debate can be fun, and should pull in music from different genres. Remember: Beethoven and Oscar Peterson don’t need lyrics...but hip hop would be nowhere without words. Compare an instrumental and lyrical version of the same song. Is the mood conveyed equally by each presentation?)

Grades 11 &12:

• Invite individual students (or small groups) to embark on making a ‘near professional’ sound recording as a major (longer term) project.

• Encourage students to compose a piece of music on a computer system and output the sheet music for the class.

• The video talks about the development of MIDI, and its impact on the recording industry. Study future directions of digital music - emerging formats; the role of CD-Roms, Enhanced CDs etc, on the process of making music. Speculate as to how these emerging technologies may change recording in the first part of the 21st century. Be sure and examine how the human fits into the equation - is there a specific point where technology needs to stop, so that human creativity can flourish?

• Have students discuss and debate the role of artistic freedom and economic reality, as they relate to the music recording industry. Controversies over lyrical content, sampling, and the use of songs in advertisements have all required a careful balancing act to reconcile art and business - What solutions have been found?

ALL LEVELS! Look into going on a class trip to tour a record company that has in-house production facilities, or a recording studio in your community. (where available.) 

MODULE 4: MARKETING + ADVERTISING 

Class Sequence: 

 1. Review and discuss the ‘other industries’ that thrive from the recording industry.      • touring/live performance      • merchandising      • music video creation      • broadcasting - radio play      • broadcasting - television - MuchMusic awards shows      • movie soundtrack creation

  2. Choose any of these areas and design a project (individual or group-based) for in-depth study of that area.

Suggested Activities: 

Grades 6,7,8:

• Design a t-shirt, button, or banner for a touring artist/band.

• Have students identify a current recording artist they enjoy listening to. Identify, collect examples of, and report back on the different methods the record company used to promote the artist’s latest recording. (In store posters, ads on radio/tv/magazines, radio & tv appearances, touring) How did these methods complement each other in raising public awareness of the artist?

• Design a poster to promote a touring symphony’s appearance in your town.

• Think of a contest or giveaway you could arrange with a radio station or record store, in order to promote an artist’s appearance. Flesh out the band/album title, and ‘tie in’ the promotion to a similar theme. (Remember what Lisa Mann said about the importance of crafting a consistent image-Is your artist ‘way-Jeans-and-T-shirt?’)

• Divide the class into breakout groups. Pick an artist or artists from a genre of music the class is less familiar with (jazz, classical, country, world music...) This artist is planning a visit to your local radio station. Have the groups research the artist’s background and history, and write an on-air introduction for the radio appearance. Prepare a list of questions for the interview. (Role play the radio intro, using a cassette machine, if available.)

Grades 9 &10:

• MegaGroove Records has just signed a hot act to their Canadian roster, and their debut album is in the can. Now comes the hard part - looking for that HIT SINGLE to introduce them to the public. There are 8 songs. Three are ballads - about love, growing old, and the environment. Two are instrumentals. One’s a cover of a ’70s song. The remaining songs are all uptempo..but long. Divide into groups and have students role-play members of the band, their manager, record company marketing reps, and video director. Consider the following questions: What should the first single be - and why? What should the band’s image be? What will the video look like? When should they release the record? (flesh out the songs a bit, if it helps focus on discussion.) Have different groups compare their results.

• Have students prepare a press kit for a concert or record release. The press kit should include a press release with information about the show or recording and can contain other materials of interest - art, ‘interviews’, fact sheets, etc. Encourage the students to be as creative as possible in their presentation.

• Using a home video camera, gather images together over a piece of existing music to create your own music video. Host a music video awards show for your class (Note: someone will have to be the on-camera host) What images were most effective, and why?

• Choose a favourite movie and make a list of songs (any songs) that you think should have been featured in that film.Why would the songs be effective? What would have to de done to secure permission to use these songs?

• A renowned Symphony Orchestra is on tour and coming to your town. All the classical lovers are making plans to go, but that still won’t fill the hall. It’s up to you to get other groups of people out. What methods will you use to encourage non-classical music fans not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime event?

Grades 11&12:

Set up a Mock scenario to explore the economics of touring...

• Pick a venue in your town, or a nearby population centre. MegaGroove Records wants to schedule a concert in that venue for one of their up-and-coming acts. The band will be travelling from the next closest centre. Figure out the costs of travel, accommodation, set up/tear down, security, performing, staff, management, promotion of the gig, and all other costs associated with bringing the band in for the concert date. Based on the ticket receipts, and allowing for some unsold tickets, what price would you have to charge to make the date profitable?

• Create your own music video with original music and images collected on a home video & plan a music awards event for your class.

• You’re a publicist with MegaGroove Records’ Jazz division, and you’re in a panic. The renowned tenor saxophonist "Gums" Anderson needs time off, ‘cause his mouth is sore.’ He says he can take one day to promote his new record, but then he has to rest up. Draw up an interview schedule that will gain "Gums" maximum exposure in the time allowed. Which radio stations, publications, newspapers, and television shows will you choose to reach the largest number of fans and possible fans? Is there a way to maximize exposure through more creative uses of the media in the time allotted? 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

There are many excellent sources available to students who wish to find out more about the recording industry. CRIA recommends the following:

Industry Trade Publications:  
The Record*, Ste. 502, 124 Merton Street, Toronto, Ontario M2S 2Z2

RPM Weekly*, 6 Brentcliffe Road, Toronto, Ontario M4G 3Y2

Billboard, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Radio & Records, 1930 Century Park West, 5th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067

Gavin, 140 2nd Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, California 94105

The Album Network, 120 North Victory Blvd., Burbank California 91502

Broadcaster*, 1450 Don Mills Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 2X7
*Canadian Magazine

Consumer Publications:  
Spin, 6 W.18th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10011

Downbeat, 102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-3379

Guitar Player, P.O Box 50376, Boulder, Colorado, 80323-0376

ICE Newsletter, P.O. Box 3043, Santa Monica, California, 90408

Musician, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Mojo, First Floor, Mappin House, 4 Winsley Street, London, England W1N 5AR

Select, First Floor, Mappin House, 4 Winsley Street, London, England W1N 5AR

VOX, IPC Magazines, 25th Floor, King’s Reach Tower, Stamford St., London, England SE1 9LS

History of Modern Song:  
All The Years of American Popular Music, David Ewen, Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1984

The Great Song Thesaurus, Roger Lax & Frederick Smith, Oxford University Press, New York, NY 1984

The Green Book of Songs By Subject, Jeff Green, Professional Desk References (Self-Published) 1995

Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw, Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY 1978

Songwriters on Songwriting, Paul Zollo, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio 1991

The Canadian Music Industry:  
Oh What A Feeling, Martin Melhuish, Quarry Press, Toronto, Canada 1996

Some Straight Talk About the Music Business, Mona Coxson, CM Books, Toronto, Canada 1989

Musicians and the Law in Canada, Paul Sanderson, Carswell Publishing, (Scarborough) Toronto, Canada 1992

Maritime Music Greats, Virginia and Stephen Pedersen, Nimbus Publishing, Halifax, Nova Scotia 1992

You and The Music Business: A Practical guide for Canadian Songwriters, Composers and Publishers, John V. Mills, CAPAC Inc Toronto, Canada 1983
The Music Business:  
All You Need to Know About The Music Business, Donald S. Passman, Simon & Schuster, New York NY 1991

More About The Business of Music, Sidney Shemel and M. Willilam Krasilovsky, Billboard Books, New York, NY 1994

Making It In the New Music Business, James Riordan, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio 1988

Successful Artist Management, Xavier M. Frascogna Jr. and H. Lee. Hetherington, Watson Guptill Publications 1978

American Popular Music Business in the 20th Century, Russell Sanjec, Oxford University Press, New York, NY 1991

Careers in the Recording Business:  
The Music Business: Career Opportunities and Self-Defence, Dick Weissman, Crown Publishers, New York, NY 1990

The Music/Record Career Handbook, Joseph Csida, Billboard Publications 1980

Networking In The Music Business, Dan Kimpel, Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio 1993

Directories:  
Music Directory Canada, Noris-Whitney Communications, Toronto, Canada 1994

Contact, c/o The Record Ste. 502, 124 Merton Street, Toronto, Canada (Annual:1996)

Sound Recording & Engineering:  
The Recording Studio Handbook, John M. Woram, ELAR Publishing Company Inc. Plainview, New York 1982

Sound and Recording, Keith Wicks, Warwick Press, New York, NY 1982

The Science of Music, Melvin Berger, Crowell Publishers, New York, NY 1989

Studio Sound Production Techniques, Dennis N. Nardantonio, Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 1990

Mechanics of Sound Recording, Tony Zaza, Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1991

Audio Engineering Handbook, Blair K. Benson, McGraw-Hill Inc, New York, NY 1988

Sound Advice: The Musician’s Guide to the Recording Industry, Wayne Wadhams, Schirmer Books Collier MacMillian, New York, NY 1990

MIDI Technology/Digital Recording & Compact Disc Technology:  
The MIDI Book: Using MIDI and Related Interfaces, Steve De Furia, Third Earth Productions: Ferro Technologies/Hal Leonard Books, Pompton Lakes, NJ 1988

The MIDI Manual, David Miles Huber, HW Sams, Carmel, Indiana 1991

MIDI for Musicians: Buying, Installing and Using Today’s Electronic Music Making Equipment, Brad Hill, A Cappella Books, Chicago, Illinois 1994

The Musicians Guide To MIDI, Christian Braut, SYBEX Inc. Paris, 1994

Principles of Digital Audio, Ken C. Pohlman, HW Sams, Indianapolis, Indiana 1985

Demystifying Compact Discs:A Guide to Digital Audio, Daniel Sweeney, Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit. PA 1986

Digital Audio and Compact Disc Technology, Luc Baert, Oxford University Press, New York, NY 1992
 

This "Listen Up" Teacher’s guide was produced and published in Toronto Canada 1996. Reproduced with permission of the Canadian Recording Industry Association 400-1250 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R 2B1 For more information, call CRIA in Toronto at 416.967.7272. Or 1.800.668.8820

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