Last night COLLABO and the Chicago Artists Resource joined forces to present a forum about songwriting and music production.

A panel of experts

• Moderator Mary Datcher: founder of COLLABO, President of On The Street Promotions and founder of the Global Mixx Music Retreat
• Ryan McGuire: President of Wuli Records (Lee DeWyze’s label), musician
• Louis Svitek: Co-Founder of Wuli Records, musician
• Dave Herrero: musician, producer, one half of The Hero Brothers, does music production for television programs (including the Oprah Show)
• Slique: producer & songwriter, R&B artist
• Toxic: Platinum producer, has worked with Twista, Keyshia Cole, Jamie Foxx and many others

Words of wisdom from the panel

• To create a hit song, learn your craft and find a time & space that works for you. (Dave)
• Best test market in the world? 5-6 year old kids. If they’re bopping their heads, it’s a hit! (Dave)
• When producing, give artists room to breathe; don’t do too much. (Toxic)
• Be passionate – it shows when artists are. (Slique)
• CYA: Cover Your Ass. (Mary)
• Copyright your songs (the legit way) through the U.S. Copyright Office.  (Mary)
• …and remember there are different types of copyrights depending if you’re a label or artists. For example, labels typically need an SR copyright (sound recording). (Dave)
• Artists need to have their own legal representation. Take your contract to an entertainment lawyer, and make sure all the details are spelled out in black and white. (Ryan)
• Know your splits; what percentage of the record is based on your specific contributions, and put it all in writing right out the gate. Usually producers get 50% and writers get 50% to split among themselves. (Toxic & Ryan)

This is just a taste of what you missed if you didn’t make it out to this event! I can’t stress enough the importance of getting out and networking. And I don’t necessarily mean going out and schmoozing everyone in the room. I can’t small-talk for shit. But I show up, and no matter what event I attend, I always end up meeting at least one new person.

Be on the lookout for the next COLLABO event or Chicago Artists Resource At Work Forum. In the meantime, mark your calendar for these:

• Creative Chicago Expo, Saturday March 12, from 10 am to 5 pm at the Chicago Cultural Center. This is a FREE event!
• GMIXX Music Retreat, May 27-30 in Puerto Rico!