7th: What was the number one motivator for starting D1 Music Network?
Jay: I came up with most of the ideas for D1, and I asked my dad Lou if he would help handle some of the day-to-day business matters. My dad managed many bands in the 70�s and 80�s. and has negotiated some very healthy recording contracts. I grew up on stages at a very young age with very successful bands so that was my first experience with the music business.
Lou: I was more than happy to help Jay with this project because I believed his idea was sound and badly needed in the entertainment industry. I�m from the old school and was part of the San Francisco music scene from the Haight Ashbury Hippy, Love, and Peace movements from the beginning of the Summer of Love outdoor festivals, Winterland, and The Fillmore East and West days. I worked with mega successful rock legends before all the music videos and the new digital technology was available. The one thing that remains the same is people love good music, and if you have a good song and people hear it, you sell records. D1 is dedicated to bringing new music and faces to the record buying public.
Grace: Jay is truly a nice guy, and he�s always coming up with something cool�I think D1 came about because he wanted to help some other artists, so they didn�t have to struggle like he did.
7th: The struggle for exposure and success goes beyond just independent artists, but extends itself to independent labels. Have D1 thought about incorporating a program into the mix that helps accommodate that fraction of the industry as well?
Grace: There are �Pro Member� sections of D1. Independent labels could post
in those sections in the forums and get in contact with members that are looking for labels. There is also banner advertising on D1 and soon we will have a links section up. We�re also coming up with new ideas everyday, so maybe in the future D1 will be able to help other small labels more, but right now we are trying to focus more on artists.
Lou: Jay�s original concept has been more than complete, in fact it goes from A to Z then starts another alphabet when it comes to making resources available to artists looking for help in the music business.
7th: Division 1 Records, the former company name, sounded morelike a record label. What made you alter the plot?
Jay: After doing all the legal research we found a conflict with the name
Division 1. It had already been used and registered as a record label. We think D1 is like an abbreviated version of the original name, and is much easier to write.
Grace: Someone had registered the name Division One. At that point we were all calling it D1 for short anyway, so the change wasn�t so bad.
7th: What trends can you see with respects to the independent music community in the next 2-5 years?
Jay: Think about it - there are only 5 major recording corporations in the world and more bands than recording contracts. The day of the independent record company has never been better. The Internet can play a big part in the distribution and marketing of your product. You can have your own Internet radio station like we have at D1. Be sure to listen in at: http://www.live365.com/stations/d1music?site=d1music. A band that has a great record and gets out there to promote their CD by playing live shows across the universe, they stand to make a ton of money, because you eliminate the controlling elements that have caused many good bands to break up, lack of revenue. A lot of hard work can really pay off it you have the experience and guidance to get you from point A to point B, then back home safely. Most bands never see a royalty because the advances must first be recouped before that is possible. In this scenario you crawl before you can walk, and if you manage your income and invest yourself, you own a bigger piece of the pie. Five years from now, those who joined forces to combat the elements will be kings of the mountain in 5 short years. Remember business people, not creative people, run record companies. Independents like D1 can hire MBA�s and CPA�s at a much more reasonable rate than to have them own you lock, stock, and barrel.
Lou: We have no objections to a reasonable partnership with a major distributor, but Jay has enough understanding at this point in his personal career to advise the upcoming artist under the D1 umbrella about the dos and don�ts to help and guide them, so they mature properly. If he doesn�t know what to do, he knows what not to do, if you get my drift.
Grace: I think that the Internet is/will play a major role. Websites, Internet radio etc. are very affordable. Most band/artists can get a site put together, get some friends and fans to help spread the word about them, and be exposed to a huge audience if they put a little time into it. Then of course there are places like D1, MP3.com etc. where people looking for something new can find it.
7th: How much easier would it have been for your musical endeavors if something like D1 had existed when you were starting out in the industry circuit?
Lou: Jay has made it very clear that he doesn�t want artists that come to D1 to go through what he had to, to get started. Jay believes the music comes first, and unfortunately the business of music is not like that. If D1 or resources like it were available 5 years ago, Jay�s career would have been much less complicated. No need to cry over spilled milk, we can do something about it now with the support of the record buying public.
Grace: From a non-musical person point of view, I think what D1 is doing is amazing. Most of the interns at D1 have no kind of industry experience other than being fans of music. D1 has given us all the chance to do something that no place else would without formal training. Everyone is having a lot of fun, gaining experience and enjoying being a part of something that we believe in.