Industry Profile: Daylle Schwartz

— By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

Daylle Deanna Schwartz is a music industry consultant, writer, speaker and personal growth counselor. Her new book, I Don1t Need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the Indie Music Revolution, seeks to empower musicians.

The guide, which Daylle says is expected to greatly exceed 100,000 in sales, presents almost every way to make money from musical talent and develop as an artist "so musicians can stop being desperate enough to sign bad deals," she says. "Musicians have options: take a record deal because it advances their career or walk away from a bad deal and do it on their own," she explains. Daylle interviewed more than 150 industry people for this book from former major label artists, who are now independent, including Clint Black and Speech from Arrested Development, to artists making a full time independent living, industry pros in every avenue related to music and pros from more than 20 countries to educate musicians about international opportunities.

From September to November, Daylle will be out on a book tour starting in New York and driving solo across the country, speaking at colleges, music industry organizations and bookstores to promote independent music and to encourage musicians to take advantage of all the available resources and opportunities. Borders Books is partnering with her to stage events in most of the markets. The indie musicians in the book will participate when available to make it a musical book signing/talk, she says. Events are planned in other cool book stores, too, such as Book People in Austin, Texas; Powells in Portland, Ore., and Malaprops in Asheville, N.C., totaling more than 60 events in 25+ cities. Daylle is also moderating a panel at CMJ this fall in New York called, I Don't Need a Record Deal!

Daylle speaks to colleges, organizations, conferences and corporations and is one of the few women to have reached her respected level in guiding musicians. Oftentimes, she is the only female speaker at music conferences and notes that she receives many letters from women who consider her a role model.

"I saw a big need for quality education about the music industry and began teaching private workshops in 1990," Daylle notes. "The workshops are attended by people from around the country and the world." She also does consulting for musicians and independent record labels.

Daylle does presentations for colleges, organizations and corporations on how to start a record label, how to develop into a musician without a day job, and a variety of personal growth topics, including Confidence Boosters, Nice Girls on Top and Finding Self-Empowerment. Her next full day Start & Run Your Own Record Label full day seminar is Feb. 25, 2006 from 11a.m. - 5:30 p.m. at The New Yorker Hotel at 34th St. & 8th Ave. in New York. The seminar will go through the entire process of starting a record label from the inception of an idea, to operating an established business. Topics include setting up a business, retail marketing and promotion, radio promotion, doing your own publicity, marketing and promoting on the Internet, international marketing, street promotion, financing, distribution, manufacturing, licensing, getting taken seriously in the industry, legal issues. There will be guest speakers from various parts of the industry. Registration is $99 in advance or $125 at the door.

Often referred to as the "Indie Music Guru," in February Daylle was flown to Norway as the guest of By:Larm to speak at the annual Scandinavian music conference about ways to overcome the problems that women face when trying to advance in the music industry. She also spoke about how to make it as an independent artist. As a result, four Norwegian newspapers carried an article on her and she has since been invited to speak at schools in Scandinavia and the U.K. Needless to say, her music books have a huge international market.

In addition to her music guides, Daylle writes personal growth books, including All Men Are Jerks until Proven Otherwise and How to Please a Woman In & Out of Bed. Her books are represented by Kirsten Manges at Curtis Brown, LTD. Daylle is currently writing Nice Girls on Top.

Daylle has been a guest on numerous TV and radio shows, including Oprah, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Howard Stern (radio), BBC, CNN, programs hosted by Ricki Lake, John and Maury Povich and appears regularly on Montel Williams. She is often quoted as a music industry expert, including in Billboard, NY Times, The New York Daily News, New York Post, NY Newsday and was recently on Inside Edition.

In addition, Daylle is also quoted as an expert on music business, relationships, and self-empowerment in a many magazines, frequently in Cosmopolitan and most recently in The New York Times, Lifetime TV, Women's World, Men's Fitness, Marie Claire, and Men's Health. She is known for her straightforward, friendly style of communicating and mixes a good dose of practicality and spirituality into all of her lectures. "Having overcome the obstacles that I speak about, I believe I'm able to motivate my audience to go out and take control of their own lives," she stresses.

Who was signed to Revenge Records?
I put out two 12" singles with me rapping Girls Can Do and Wrap it Up. I got regional distribution immediately. Then I put out a dance track that I wrote, Never Again sung by Lori Michaels. It got picked up by Next Plateau Records when Salt N Pepa was still going strong. My fourth release was a dance track called Sensual Power that I wrote and sang on as the group called Heart On. It sold well all over the world, and I was offered a deal with BMG UK that my lawyer screwed up. My highest profile act was Powerule, a hip-hop group with some of my former students. They had two releases with videos on MTV and other major networks and got picked up for Danny Goldberg's hip-hop label for Atlantic, Poetic Groove. After that I put out several more dance acts, including The Alliance, which sold very well both here and internationally. I released 10 records in all.

What is Revenge Productions?
It's the company I began when my students wanted me to get revenge after industry people ripped me off. I began it to prove to them that when you get angry, use the energy behind it to do something positive for yourself, not to hurt people. I still operate my music business through Revenge Productions: marketing my seminars, publishing my free newsletter, Daylle's News & Resources, and other activities relating to the music industry.

How did you get started in rap?
My students dared me to make a rap record. They said a white woman couldn't rap. Davy DMX (Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, etc.), who lived in the neighborhood where I taught, heard about me and invited me over when I was trying to learn how to rap. Through him I met other industry pros. My students gave me the most feedback about how to do my raps well. I recorded three different rap tracks and released two of them on Revenge Records.

Why was the third track not released on your label?
I was never happy with Teacher's Breaking Back so I didn't release it. The producer didn't take me seriously and did a shoddy production. One day I'd like to get the funds to re-record it, do a video with cameos of some of the top hip-hop artists and donate all proceeds to a charity for kids. I wouldn't be where I am had the kids not pushed me. I strongly believe in giving back.

When you start a premise for one of your music industry books, after you interview people and put it together, has your premise shifted?
Definitely. I work on a very fluid basis. I try to get a variety of suggestions and opinions and present them in a way that my readers can come to their own conclusions about what would work best for each one. As an educator, I'm always open to new directions and premises. I learn a lot as I interview.

When I was researching The Real Deal: How to Get Signed to a Record Label, I had no intention of telling artists that the best way to get a deal was to put all their energy into making money, which develops them as artists. I went to Austin because I learned about a lot of musicians making a decent income while labels courted them. I interviewed Pat Green right after he signed his lucrative deal with Republic (Universal) after ignoring the labels for years. He focused on developing his career while they chased him. So I searched out other artists and learned how many opportunities there were to make money. I Don't Need a Record Deal! takes what I discovered to the next level.

I know that I don't know everything about the industry. Nobody does. So I interview a broad assortment of industry pros and weave their suggestions together to provide a much better education than I could give with just my own opinions. If I didn't have an open mind, I could miss some good stuff.

With a book about starting your own record label and a book on getting signed to a record label, which way should an artist go?
Major labels no longer develop artists so artists must develop themselves first if they want a good deal. I'm not against taking a record deal. I'm against being desperate for one. Too many artists put all their energy into sending packages to label people or trying to find someone who will do it for them. Even in The Real Deal I say that the best way to get a deal that sustains a career is to put all your energy into finding ways to make money from music, touring, building a fan base and whatever other development is possible. Then an artist can attract a deal because they're getting attention.

Do you think artists should just go the independent route?
In my new book I advise artists to put their energy into developing themselves as artists so they don't need a record deal to earn a living from music. That's why it's called I Don't Need a Record Deal! When you let the deal come to you, you're in a better bargaining position. And only take a deal that gives you more than you can give yourself, such as better distribution, more promotional support or more clout in getting onto big tours. Otherwise, continue independently. I created my new website http://www.idontneedarecorddeal.com/ to give musicians resources for getting a career in music off the ground and taking it to the next level - making enough money to quit your day job!

Do you prefer writing about the music industry or personal growth?
I love it all. And, I use the lessons from one avenue to nurture the other. For example, in I Don't Need a Record Deal! I have a whole chapter dedicated to tips for building confidence, learning how to ask for what you need, developing spiritual faith, handling rejection, persevering, etc. I hear from many people who thank me for bringing the personal growth material into the music industry. It's a tough biz, and they need it! And, I sometimes refer to my music books when writing personal growth material. It's very synergistic, and I don't separate them within my writing. After all, the music industry is all about relationships!

What do you hope to achieve on your three-month book tour?
I want to spread the word to musicians that they don't have to feel dependent on getting a record deal to have a musical career. Reaching young people while still in college gives them the best chance to prepare for guiding their own careers. And speaking at bookstores and for organizations allows me to reach an even bigger audience.

I also want to educate consumers about how terrific indie music is and encourage them to check out indie artists and support the ones they like. Independent artists are creating some of the best music out there. Major labels follow formulas for music. Indies just create. So their music is often more innovative and exciting. I want to spread the word!

First concert attended
I went to see Led Zepplin at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park in 1969, so it set a high standard for future live shows. My older cousin took me. It was awesome.

First concert worked
I performed as the rappin' teach at Roller Castle, a roller rink in Elmhurst, N.Y. in the late '80s. I opened for Marley Marl and MC Shan to a crowd of several hundred. Run-D.M.C. got on stage to support me. LL Cool J was there, too.

First industry job
Running my own record label, Revenge Records. In the late '80s I was teaching school in Hollis, Queens, home of hip-hop, when my students said I couldn't rap because I was a white woman. They dared me to try and loved my raps. But industry people that I paid to shop my music ripped me off since they figured I wouldn't know that they weren't doing anything for the money I paid them. My students offered revenge. They'd slash their tires or do other nasty things on my behalf. Instead, I taught them a spiritual lesson: get positive revenge by using the energy behind anger to help yourself. I opened Revenge Productions and then Revenge Records. I knew nothing about the music industry but was determined to succeed. I released two rap singles and then signed other artists.

Career highlights
The first was making the transition from being a bored schoolteacher to establishing a record label that got taken seriously. That was the foundation for reinventing myself. I will never forget the thrill of leaving the studio with a finished track for Never Again, the first real song I wrote. It put me on the map as a label and songwriter.

Getting each of my books published - The Real Deal: How to Get Signed to a Record Label, Start & Run Your Own Record Label, my personal growth books, and now my newest, I Don't Need a Record Deal! Your Survival Guide for the Indie Music Revolution - were like beacons of light for my career. I expect my three-month fall indie music national book tour to be the brightest so far.

Career disappointments
I had a dance track called Sensual Power that I wrote and sang. BMG UK offered me a deal for it. My lawyer wasn't very good and didn't follow through with the negotiations. I was too inexperienced to recognize it until it was too late. So I lost the deal. After that I released a record with three hip-hop artists. I got an offer from a good label to buy the group from me. They also had a film company and wanted to market the act by doing a film treatment of my life. The guys in the act had big egos and resented the film overshadowing them. So they sabotaged the deal. Now they're nowhere. Both disappointments were very painful, but I learned the power of perseverance.

Greatest challenge
The initial one was learning how to rap but the biggest was learning how to run Revenge Records successfully for five years. I hate the business end so it was a struggle against my creativity to learn how to keep the books, collect money, create a budget and market and promote my products. I did get on the map by forcing myself to do it.

Best business decision
To close my record label after five successful years and put all of my energy into writing books and teaching workshops, which is where my passions lie.

Best advice you received
Be flexible and ready to go with something unexpected that presents itself. At the time I was sure that my first rap, Teacher's Breaking Back,* would be the one that would launch my career. A producer told me that this record might not fly but another could, if I was open. I kept that in mind when I got the idea for Girls Can Do. We couldn't get a deal for the first, but I recorded the second after getting a lot of enthusiasm from my students. Girls Can Do launched my label. Teacher's Breaking Back was never released. One day I'd like to re-record it for a charity.

Best advice to offer
Find your passion and pursue it with a vengeance. If a teacher with no knowledge of the music industry could succeed, anyone can.

Most memorable industry experiences
My most recent was having a book release party at the Hard Rock Cafe. I was just a little part of its history. The one that's stayed with me since the late '80s happened when I told a journalist who was doing a story about me how much I admired Pat Benatar. Days later, she called to say that coincidentally, she'd just interviewed Pat and told her about me. Pat invited me to sit in the Chrysalis box at her upcoming concert and then attend a backstage party. For me it was a sign that dreams can come true. My dreams regularly become reality now.

Favorite team/athlete
I like Michael Jordan because of what he does to help others.

What friends would be surprised to learn about you
I'm not a party animal, despite my outgoing personality. I prefer to stay home writing a lot of the time.

Industry pet peeve
A lack of respect for time by many.

Office paraphernalia
Music.

If I wasn't doing this, I would be...
...not still be teaching school. I can't imagine anything else I could do that would make me happy than writing and educating.

Industry mentor
I met Ron Stone of Gold Mountain Management when I went up to congratulate him on his great speech after he spoke at a conference. I was thrilled when he knew who I was because he'd read The Real Deal. I interviewed him for the revised edition. Ever since, I've been able to call on him for advice.

Daylle can be reached at (212) 688-3504; e-mail: daylle@daylle.com

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