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On The Road: A tour of music, lifestyles and pop culture

The Pinball Producer: MANDI MARTIN

555 hours, 55 minutes, and 55 seconds… That’s how long Mandi Martin played pinball. Seriously… she’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for that 23-day marathon. Waylon Jennings taught her how to play, when she used to hang with him and (DJ) Captain Midnight in Nashville. However, as amazing as that feat may be, Martin’s success and longevity in the music business is just as impressive.

Pinball may be her game, but music is her passion. A former Columbia, RCA and Epic recording artist, Martin produced and sold her first record when she was still in high school. She eventually graduated to  singing background for musical greats like Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Jan & Dean, Brian Wilson and Jimmy Buffett, to name a few. “I was a sponge,” she laughs. “I was a real studio rat. I went to every recording session I could and just absorbed it all.” She watched all the big names work (including Phil Spector), and studied what they did to get their sounds. “It was an education you couldn’t buy,” she says.

Her obsession with the recording process came from an insatiable desire. Though she was an accomplished songwriter, who enjoyed several publishing deals, and an in-demand singer, Martin’s dream was to produce other artists. “I always wanted to produce,” she sighs. And, in 1973, she got to do just that, producing country, folk and R&B artists, including Columbia folkie Len Chandler and Tears for Fears singer, Oleta Adams.

Since then, she has produced a slew of noteworthy acts, and became active in the music community, as president of Women in Music, co-producer of the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase, and a member of the Board of Governors at the Recording Academy (host of the Grammy Awards).

Obviously, Martin is a rare bird, a giver. In fact, anyone lucky enough to work with her has discovered that. But, she has her own approach to producing that is unique.

Actually, they’re rules every artist should know if they hope to work with a producer. “You should spend as much time in pre-production as possible,” Martin explains. “You have to make the songs as strong as they can be.” Martin has noticed that for many young artists that’s a problem because they’re not familiar with the concept of re-writing.

“I call them early settlers,” she says. “They settle way too early — well before their songs are finished.”

According to Martin, the most important characteristic artists should develop is patience. “You don’t want to rush into the studio before you’re ready. Studio time is precious.” And, lastly, Martin believes that the experience should be pleasurable. “We should be having fun,” she declares. “As a producer, my job is to paint an accurate portrait of the artist, not to make them something they’re not.

If a producer tries to change an artist too much, the music can lose its authenticity.”

Martin emphasizes that last part, mostly because she works so closely with her acts. “I love artists and music,” she says. “In fact, many of the acts I’ve worked with become close friends.” If you’d like to learn more about Martin, go to www.mandimartinmusic.com and/or www.myspace.com/mandimartinmusic.

I’d like to send a special thanks to Bernard Baur for the great article.  -MM

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Happy New Year, everyone!  I’m pleased to announce that Nick’s CD was reviewed in the current January issue of Music Connection Magazine, and it was the highest rated CD in their New Music Critiques section (page 52)!  (Full text of the review also available here.)

CDs are available at CDBaby, iTunes or through NickDaugherty.com.

Just wanted to thank all the musicians once again for their contribution to Nick’s project:

• Don Peake (Wrecking Crew)
• Paul Marshall (Strawberry Alarm Clock & I See Hawks in L.A.)
• Alex Del Zoppo (Sweetwater)
• Voyce McGinley, III (currently touring with Kitaro)
• Lee Thornburg (Tower of Power, Chicago)
• Mark LeVang (BERN)
• Skip Edwards
• Clydene Jackson (former Raelette, Ray Charles)
• Andrea Robinson (veteran session singer)
• Marcy Vaj and Elizabeth Wright (seasoned string players)
• Gary Popenoe (Severin Browne)
• Chris Cardenas (Skinny Little Twits)
• Tim Wingate

You’re all amazing talents and I applaud each and every one of you for giving so much of yourselves to help make Nick’s debut CD the best it could be!  It’s such a pleasure for me as a producer to have your support and energy on the projects we work on together.

I also want to thank the folks (Marty, Jim & Matt) at Sound Image for providing us with the opportunity to have a top-notch studio!  And, of course, thanks to mastering guru Ron Boustead for putting the icing on the cake.

I’m looking forward to seeing you back in the studio during 2010…making more wonderful music together!

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Thanks to Nick Daugherty for his wonderful collection of songs, all the talented pro musicians who made them come to life, to Marty, Jim & Matt at Sound Image Studios for giving us a home and Ron Boustead at Precision Mastering for putting the icing on the cake…all of you helped to make this a great project to work on! 

• Nick Daugherty: Vocals/Guitar;
• Paul Marshall: Bass/Acoustic Guitar/Background Vocals;
• Don Peake: Guitar;
• Tim Wingate: Guitar;
• Alex Del Zoppo: Piano & Keyboards;
• Skip Edwards: B3
• Voyce McGinley, III: Drums, Congas, Tambourine, Shaker & Marimba;
• Andrea Robinson & Clydene Jackson: Background Vocals.  YOU ALL ROCK!

We are working on 10 more songs for his debut CD, which will be available this summer.

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Enjoy! –MM

*****

“Hard Work and a Whole
Lot of Perseverance”

Passenger Profile: Amy Kuney

By Kenny Kerner
Listen to ‘How The Wind Must Feel’ by Amy Kuney:
Amy_Kuney-How_The_Wind_Must_Feel.mp3

I can tell by reading many of your profiles that you’re taking our advice and getting up and taking charge of your own careers. I can tell by your e-mails to me and by the success stories you tell TAXI.

But this profile is special. Amy Kuney has lived a lifetime in her 21 years. This is about a TAXI member whose life was changed on March 28, 2003 while in Guatemala. She and her friends were brutally attacked by gunmen and one of her friends was murdered before her eyes. Amy Kuney was 17 years old at the time.

Today, the memory still a vivid one, Amy is a junior in college and a successful independent artist with quite a career ahead of her. Let’s find out more.

When did you first think about getting into the music business?
I come from a very musical family. Both of my parents were musicians and so were my two older sisters. My parents had me playing piano when I was five and, since then, I have always been involved in music somehow. I guess I realized I wanted to pursue music as a career when the Hanson brothers became really popular. Our families were in the same home school group and they had always been friends of the family. I remember watching them when they appeared on Letterman. I was 12 years old and I wanted to do what they were doing.

What instruments do you play and when did you first begin learning to play?
I play guitar and piano. I began piano lessons when I was five years old and played mostly classical music and hymns for church. I started guitar on my own when I was 16 years old.

Were you self-taught?
With guitar I was self-taught, yes. I actually learned from a huge chord poster that my dad bought me from Wal-Mart. With piano, I have always taken lessons. My parents always pushed for piano as my main instrument. Even when we moved to Central America, I thought I could get out of taking lessons. (Laughs)… but no, they hired a woman from Cuba to teach me. I didn’t speak Spanish, and she didn’t speak English; but, then again, music is a universal language!

How did the incident in March 2003 influence you as a songwriter and as an artist?
Until March 2003, I had spent so much of my life wishing I were somewhere else, doing something else. I had been living with my family in Honduras for close to four years by that time. I was biding my time until I could get out and “start” my life. After the incident, I realized just how short life really is and, if I have a goal I want to achieve, I should pursue it like it was my last day to live. I wasn’t sure if I was going to live through the incident and I sort of made a “deal” with God and told Him that if He would just get me through, I would do my part in working towards my dream. The incident also knocked my thinking to a new level. I was able to experience and communicate feelings of sadness, fear, and joy with more intensity.

How were you able to get three of your original songs on an NBC soap opera?
Mandi Martin played the finished master of my debut CD for Paul Antonelli, the music supervisor of Passions. He loved all of the songs on it and asked her to please get a CD into his hands as soon as it was ready to be commercially released. She got it to him in January 2006, and I had my first song (“So Help Me God”) used twice in the show in early February, a month before my CD was officially released for sale! Then a few months later, Paul called and said he was using another song (“How The Wind Must Feel”) three times in one show and, a month after that, he used the third song (“In The Dark”) three times. Paul’s been great to me!

You also did some acting in Gilmore Girls. How did that come about?
Mandi arranged for me to play two songs at the July 2005 L.A. WoMen In Music Soiree in West Hollywood. A local radio deejay, Larry Wines, was in the audience and came over to us after I performed. He invited me to perform on his radio show, he exchanged cards with Mandi and we kept in touch with him. Then, in October 2005, the producers at Gilmore Girls called Larry and asked him if he knew of any performers who might be right to play the part of a college-aged folk singer on the show. I was one of three or four artists he recommended. The casting office called Mandi and asked me to learn “Tom Dooley” and set up a live audition. I went to the Warner Bros. lot and auditioned for all of the show’s producers. We were barely out of the parking lot after the audition, when Mandi got the call on her cell that I had the part! It was my first audition for an on-camera part. The first time I was on the show, I played and sang “Tom Dooley” in a club scene. The second time, they asked me to do one of my own songs, “Relationship Wrecked,” in the season finale. I’m in the studio now recording that song for my second CD with Mandi Martin and Peter Barker, my two producers.

How did you first hear about TAXI?
Actually, I first heard about TAXI when I was living in Honduras. I was “Googling” around on the Internet, trying to find contact information for producers, and I ran across the TAXI Web site. I wanted to be a member, but, at the time, I had no demo to send in. When we first started working together, Mandi invited Peter Barker and me to be her guests at the 2004 TAXI Road Rally. Mandi had been a TAXI screener and was doing one-on-one song critiques and the mentor lunch that year. We were about to start work on my debut CD later that month. Mandi felt it was important for me to be educated about the business of music, as well as learning and growing creatively.

With songs on TV, acting experience, award nominations, etc., why join TAXI?
I believe TAXI can provide so many opportunities for artists like me to gain huge exposure. I really want to take my career to the next level and eventually gain national exposure. TAXI has thousands of resources and a highly trained staff that really puts those resources to work for the songwriter/artist. TAXI also saves artists like me hours of valuable time by sorting through the good and bad opportunities out there and helping me to stay focused on songwriting, recording, and performing.

How has TAXI helped your career?
Mandi introduced me to vocal coach Steven Memel at the 2004 TAXI Road Rally, where he was doing a workshop, and I have been working with him ever since. This past November, I attended the 2006 TAXI Road Rally in Los Angeles (as a member this time) and was chosen to perform one of the nights on the main stage and there were hundreds of people there. During the A&R panel on the last day, Tony Ferguson (from Interscope) heard my song “Breaking Bad Habits” and requested a copy of my CD from the stage. I felt very special, since my CD was the only one any of the panel members asked for. I found the A&R panels, the Driver’s Education classes, and the networking opportunities very helpful and insightful and I have been able to apply what I learned to my own career. I’ve also received two TAXI forwards since we began submitting my songs in November and we’ve also had some new interest from record labels.

What things have you learned from being in the music business so far?
I have learned a lot from my producers Mandi Martin and Peter Barker. From day one, they have made it a point to keep me in the know about the business. The first time we worked together, Mandi and Peter gifted me with John Braheny’s book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting. Mandi, who is also my manager, has always emphasized how important it is to know about the business of music, in addition to the art of it, and that I only have one chance to make a “first” impression. I have learned how important it is to maintain healthy relationships with the people I work with. I have learned how important it is to study and dissect a contract, taking drastic precautions before signing anything. And, I’ve learned that it’s a tough business and it takes hard, hard work and a whole lot of perseverance.

“…hard, hard work and a whole lot of perseverance.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. And TAXI, of course, for the networking opportunities, encouragement, and critical comments about your original songs. Way to go, Amy!

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RadioGuy009.mp3

Featuring the songs:

• So Help Me God
• In The Dark (clip)
• Sold Out (clip)
• How The Wind Must Feel (clip)
• Sore Loser (clip)
• Sunday (clip)
• Breaking Bad Habits (clip)

Amy Kuney’s EP is available on CD or via download.

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Click here to read the article: TAXI Navigator Feb 2007

Thanks to Michael Laskow, Chris Baptiste and the TAXI staff for their belief and support for Amy and her music! And, thanks to Bud Scoppa for writing this fantastic piece! It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy all over when someone else appreciates Amy as a songwriter and artist the way she deserves to be appreciated!

– MM

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By Bernard Baur

Artist management has evolved with the music business.

In today’s shrinking industry, management’s duties have expanded tremendously; and, in fact, several of the individuals profiled here are hyphenated — their expertise covers more than one area. You find producers (the power brokers in today’s music business) acting as managers, and management coming from the business sector.

Almost all of our sources are paid consultants as well because, after all, it is a business. The biggest change we’ve noticed is that artists are required to take on more responsibility. The days of a “free ride” are over.

Nonetheless, if you’re looking for someone to guide and direct your career, all seven of our sources are experienced and savvy enough to help you reach your goals.

MANDI MARTIN
MandiMartinMusic.com
Contact

Mandi Martin is a star in her own right. A signed act in the 60′s (Columbia, RCA and Epic), she was mentored by Sam Cooke, and holds the Guinness World Record for playing pinball for 555 hours, 55 minutes and 55 seconds — on her 55th birthday. Martin also co-produced L.A.’s Songwriter’s Showcase for 23 years. Today she’s a record producer as well as a manager, and currently works with Amy Kuney (MC’s Top Demo Critique 2006), Nick Daugherty, Michael Doman, Voyce McGinley, III, and Jennifer Vazquez.

WHAT TYPE OF ARTISTS DO YOU LIKE

I like most genres including R&B, pop, country, rock, AAA and Top 40. I’ll even check out raw talent. Amy Kuney came out of the jungles of Honduras, and that’s as raw as you can get. But, to really get my interest, the music has to make every hair on my body stand at attention. I like informed artists. They can’t be dumb or unrealistic. They have to believe in themselves and know something about the business.

WHAT DO YOU OFFER ARTISTS

Since I was an artist myself, I can see things through their eyes. I know what they’re going through. As a songwriter and producer, I also know what makes a good song. I try to introduce my artists to people who can help them — like Steven Memel who I got as a vocal coach for Amy. Actually, I mentor many more artists than I manage, and consult on a freelance basis.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ARTISTS

I expect total dedication and commitment. But, the talent has to be there. I also believe artists need to take responsibility for their own career. They shouldn’t expect a manager to do everything for them, and that includes paying for things. In the old days the trade-off was your publishing. And unless an artist is willing to give that up, they’re going to have to find a way to pay for some things. Of course, we can barter — I need a lot of things fixed around my house.

INDIE vs. MAJOR

A record deal today is not necessarily your best option. It’s not even safe if a label president signs you. The industry is too unstable. But, artists can do a lot on their own. You can get tremendous exposure with song placement in a television or film project. And, it’s not just about the money. It’s all about exposing your music to as many people as possible.

CONTACT

E-mail me and tell me about yourself. Let me know where I can hear some music. I want to hear something undeniable. If I do, we’ll talk.

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Republished from AllAccessMagazine.com (February 15, 2007)

———-

Between The Lines :: Amy Kuney

“I want to thank the Academy for all their support”

Vocalist/lyricist Amy Kuney came to L.A. in 2004 like so many others: to follow her dream. With The Oscars buzz on overdrive right now, Kuney’s “Sold Out” from her 2006 6-song debut CD, “EP,” taps into both the highs and lows of aspiring actresses.

“I will be a better mother / I will be a better wife / I will submit to my husband / But I lead a double life / In my head and in my heart / Give me credit I’m just playing a part”

“I grew up in the Midwest – Okalahoma, until age 14,” Kuney says. “My family moved to Honduras and I got out of my comfort zone. Every time I went back [to the Midwest], most of the people I knew were still there – which is fine – but it was hard for me to understand the mentality of some of the intelligent, educated women staying in one place, almost like servants.”

“I take every chance to run my errands alone / I stay out as long as I can / Until I am called to come home / And clean up… put the kids down / Plan to make love though he’s nowhere around”

“Sold Out,” then, Kuney explains, “is about someone who wants to be an actress, but who already has sustained responsibilities in a particular place: she got married, had kids, loves her family. In many conservative religions, it’s the role of the wife to be submissive, to give up her own aspirations to please her husband and family. But her husband doesn’t appreciate her.”

“My children will call me a blessing / From the day they can talk / I’ll always have my wedding ring / But most times I won’t have it on”

Kuney elaborates: “It’s fuel for her furnace. She wants to get out [as an actress] in a way that makes her husband proud of her, yet when she’s famous, like it or not, he can’t have her. It’s a common fantasy, a feeling of power, to want someone to want you so badly…but he or she can’t have you.”

Was “Sold Out” written with someone particular in mind? “No. I was sitting in [co-producer] Mandi Martin’s kitchen a few days after Julia Child died, and Mandi had a bookshelf full of Julia Child cookbooks. I was thinking about a woman’s dream to get married and have children. That could easily have been me if I’d chosen to settle down instead of pursue music. But I have things I want to accomplish before I get to that point. ‘Sold Out’ was also inspired by the book ‘Crazy in Alabama,’ about a woman with 8 children and a husband who doesn’t get it. She ends up moving to Hollywood.”

“So I turn on the stove and I let the cat out / The carrots are boiling over / As I bow to my secret crowd / Cheering for me and the way I perform / I want to thank the Academy for all their support”

Kuney continues, “I pictured an actress, a Greta Garbo character on the silver screen. It’s set in the 1950s or ‘60s. I saw the husband going to watch his wife’s movie at a theater, and not be able to get in because it’s sold out. There’s a big ‘SOLD OUT’ sign on the theater.”

“But he’s gonna want me when I’m famous / He’s gonna want me when I’m gold / He’s gonna want me when I make it / But I will be… I will be SOLD OUT”

Although Kuney usually starts with a melody, “This song was one of the first times I had lyrics that motivated and ruled the song.” When the melody did come together, “I wrote it with my [acoustic] guitar. And when I perform it, it’s usually me, my bass player and drummer. I also play it alone a lot.”

To emphasize the movie imagery, though, “When we were recording, my co-producers Peter Barker and Mandi Martin had the imagination to make the music theatrical – almost like a movie score, the soundtrack to the woman’s victory on screen. Many people came into the studio and collaborated with us to translate the story into music.”

The rich layers of 9 musicians’ multiple instruments, combined with Kuney’s confident and well-paced vocals, give “Sold Out” a depth unusual in today’s quick-hit music scene. Drums and percussion supplement the song’s message rather than drowning it out. Throughout the song guitars and strings – violin, viola, cello – complement Kuney’s carefully modulated pitch. Perfectly placed piano accents add even more emotion to already heartfelt lyrics, like Kuney’s soft sigh after “So I turn on the stove.”

Despite some acting roles as a folk singer on “Gilmore Girls,” Kuney’s own immediate dreams, other than successfully finishing college, “all have to do with music. I need to pursue that wholeheartedly. Relationships can’t be half-hearted; they need to be treated with care and time. Right now I don’t have that time. I’m 21: I have time to zero in and target my musical goals. Whether it works or not, I can always say I tried my hardest.”

Kuney and her co-producers are aiming for a new album this year, and they’ve been working on it in the studio since September 2006. “I have a lot of new stuff that’s really personal, more edgy. The new songs give more of a glimpse of me as a person. I’m excited: I like to be sitting on the edge of my seat.”

Kuney’s songs have already gotten TV exposure on “Passions” and “Laguna Beach,” and you can listen to “Sold Out” anytime online at www.AmyKuney.com and MySpace.com/AmyKuney.

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This article appeared in the Daily News on March 23, 2000.

Mandi Martin, tries to break her own 1979 Guinness record for playing pinball, as her friend, Nadiya Davis, offers some encouragement.

CANOGA PARK – Joining a long, wacky tradition of Guinness record seekers, Mandi Martin played her 17th straight day of pinball Wednesday – just four days from establishing a new world record.

“It’s not really about points,” said the 55-year-old Martin, as she kept her eyes on the flying metal ball, “my all-time high score is 1.8 billion, and I don’t even keep track of anything below 300 million anymore.”

As she cruised into hour 411 on Wednesday, Martin explained that she wants to play an endless series of games for 555 hours, 55 minutes and 55 seconds over 23 days, besting the record of 505 hours she said she set in 1979.

She is allowed only one five-minute break each hour, according to Guinness rules, so she sometimes accumulates her minutes to take short naps.

A telephone headset lets her talk to press and friends without halting play, and a revolving team of friends acting as witnesses gives her occasional shoulder massages to keep her loose and awake.

Her forearms are built up like a patrol cop’s, thanks to months of working out at the gym in preparation for the event, she said.

Martin chose her goal – 555 hours, 55 minutes and 55 seconds – to coincide with her 55th birthday, which she celebrated March 20.

To qualify, Guinness requires that a log of her hours be kept, and that there be present two sworn witnesses at all times who sign the log.

If successful, the self-described pinball queen will join the prestigious global ranks of such unbelievable characters as Swami Maujgiri Maharaj of India, who stood in place for a record 17 years straight from 1955 to 1973, and Randy Ober of Arizona, who spat a tobacco wad a record 47 feet, 7 inches in 1982.

“I don’t know how the heck she does this,” said Joe Breakfield, an insurance broker from Redondo Beach and friend of Martin’s who volunteered as a witness. “After just an hour’s nap, she’s at it again, full of energy. It’s an inspiration.”

Sitting in a cushioned chair and playing on a machine she says was loaned to her by rock guitar player Slash from the group Guns N’ Roses, Martin says she decided to break her own record now to mark the fifth anniversary of the passing of her late husband, Jerry Fox.

“I am the John Glenn of pinball,” she said. “I hadn’t planned on doing this again, but my friends convinced me they’d support me and it’s good for the charities.”

Like her record-setting event 21 years ago, Martin hopes the publicity will help her raise thousands of dollars for several charity organizations, including the MusiCares Foundation, which deals with addiction and housing issues; the domestic violence prevention group Haven Hills; The Chad Aitken Foundation, which supports families that lose a young child; Gilda’s Club, formed by actress Gilda Radner to support cancer patients worldwide; and America’s Breast Cancer Ride, a charity bicycle ride.

Martin takes donations on her Web site, www.pinballchamp.com.

A lifetime songwriter who got her start in the entertainment industry in Nashville, Tenn., in the 1970s, Martin got turned on to the game while playing after work with friends and says she has set records in the past.

“There was a DJ in Nashville named Captain Midnight who taught me all the tricks,” she said. “I found out I was really good at it, and I was hooked from the start.”

Original Scans of Article:

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