We recently connected with Messieurs Swank and have shared our conversation below.

Messieurs, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I literally took a full year (the global pandemic, lockdown year of 2020) and devoted the majority of my time and energy to learning how to create music for visual media (TV/Film, ads, video games, etc.), which is known as music or sync licensing. I invested in education, resources, tools and equipment, and as I learned I started building relationships in the field. I had been creating music for many years prior, but when I decided to venture into creating music to license to TV/Film, ads, video games, etc., I learned that there were slightly different rules and techniques to having success with licensing my music.

Investing in education help me speed up the process. In February of 2020 I enrolled in an online course, that turned out to be an awesome community of mentors and talented, like minded creators that became my creative tribe. Through this creative community I received knowledge, mentorship, built lasting relationships with creative collaborators, and established industry connections that open the door for me to have my music licensed in TV shows. Creatively I found a safe space to share my ideas, while receiving the tools and resources to level up my career.

I don’t know if this is a skill, but what I believe is most essential to pursuing any endeavor and having success is showing initiative. Invest in yourself. I believe when we make significant investments in ourselves it holds us accountable. You don’t want to see your good hard earn money go to waste. Invest in the education, tools, resources, mentorship if necessary, that will help you level up faster. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask/seek the help you need. I found that often time people love to help others, or at least feel like they’re helping others. You don’t have to know it all or pretend that you do, but you do need to be willing and capable of learning. It’s one way of building relationships.

I learned early on that if I was going to be successful in music licensing that I had to be committed to the learning process. There were days when I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew. Although, I had been creating music for years, this was something new for me. I had to learn how to create music as a service. Music that served the message or story of the story teller or brand. It required a different mindset and skillset. I had to learn how to use new tools. I had to relearn a lot of things and change/break some habits which is sometimes difficult to do when you’re used to doing things a certain way for so long. It took a significant amount of time and energy, and on top of all this I still had a family to take care of. Where would I find the time? It felt overwhelming at times.

Messieurs, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always been passionate about music. I started writing songs at a young age. I started producing music and learning to DJ when I was in college. At some point I began to understand that music could be a lucrative career if you learned the business of it all. As I began to explore the business of music, it opened the door for so many opportunities within and outside of the traditional music industry. Since the pandemic, when my DJ business took a hit, I’ve been focused on music licensing, or sync. Sync (or synchronization) is a process where songs are combined with moving images – film, TV series, adverts, video games, trailers etc. This has taken me back to my initial passion of creating music.

Whether it’s packing a dance floor, or providing music to convey the emotions of a scene in a television show, my clients depend on me to create vibes and provide music to help them tell stories. I’m a curator of sound. While one song can fit a variety situations, there’s no one cookie cutter solution for every client. It’s important for me to know what end result my clients’ expect and create accordingly. I’m in the service industry.

Becoming Messieurs Swank has been a maturation of me combing my creative passions, knowledge, skills. I pride myself on being able to tell stories through music. Music is my love language.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Early on in my creative journey I wish I would have known or start learning the broader business around my creative endeavors. Sometimes all we see is the entertainers as a career path and follow that or think we can’t do that because maybe we don’t have the talent. In actuality there’s a whole business and behind the scenes players that allow and most time dictate what the entertainers do. It also important to learn about agents, publishers, legalities, rights and ownership, the list goes on. Sadly, too many creators initially don’t know how to protect themselves and get taken advantage of. Some leave it up to other people that may not have their best interest at heart. Know your business. Having a broader perspective opens you up for more opportunities, and at the very least gives you better understanding of how to protect your creations.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve know I wanted to make a career in music for a long time. I didn’t always know how that would materialize. When it looked like my dream of being in the music industry drifting out of reach, I had to find other alternatives to support my family and myself. One thing I understood is that I needed to stay around it in some capacity. At times that was me being in support roles. I was a writer for other artist, an artist manager, a DJ and even done admin work. I just wanted to be in the room. It was all a part of my process, my journey. It allowed me to learn the business from so many different angles. It also kept me in and around the industry. Having all of this experience made it easier to transition into what eventually became a niche for me.

Eventually, I discovered music licensing and now my music is in TV shows broadcast all over the world. A different means to essentially the same goal. Sometimes it’s important to recognize opportunities to pivot, or learn something else so that you be ready for new opportunities. Throughout my career I’ve been prepared or willing to accept change, and I’ve never given up on my dream. Not to say I haven’t thought about it, but I kept going. To this day I stay the consummate student. If you stay a student, you’ll always have a teacher.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.swanklifestyle.com/music-epk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messieursswank/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessieursSwankLifestyle
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/messieurs-swank
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/messieursswank/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59xuuzOYJI3AJcyXhXAEYg

Image Credits
Shakela Johnson Mister Overstreet