We were lucky to catch up with Messieurs Swank recently and have shared our conversation below.

Messieurs, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I truly believe that we are all born with a rhythm; every one of us. And even though our rhythm helps us connect with the people and world around us, it is uniquely ours. I’ll start my story there.

For as long as I can remember music has been a part of my life. As a kid it was the soundtrack to Saturday morning cleaning and weekend barbecues. It was singing in the choir on Sunday mornings. It was my siblings and I glued to the TV to watch the latest music videos so we could learn the latest dances. As I moved into my adolescent years, I started writing songs and formed a crew. We were going to be the next Boys II Men or Jodeci. Later, after learning of the musical production of Atlanta’s own Organize Noize, I started playing around with production equipment and learning how to produce. In college my friends and I started a Hip Hop collective and started performing at local clubs and bars. I also learned to DJ around that time. At one point I was even a road manager for an artist.

I can go on and on about the different ways music has always been a part of my everyday existence. Even amid me pursuing other career paths and trying to walk away from it to get a “real job”, my path always led back to music. Once I realized that my rhythm was leading me down this path, my mission became simple; make a living through music. I’ve spent the last decade or so vigorously pursuing that mission.

Making a living through music is just an idea. For any idea to be successful, there must be a plan of action to bring the idea to fruition. By now, I had plethora of different experiences to draw from that told me there a several different avenues to have a career in music. I had been a creator, a curator, and I had developed a passion and skill for learning the business of music. How could I use all my experience to actually make money?

First, I started a DJ business. That seemed like the accessible and fastest way for me to make money in music. It would allow me to network with a purpose, build a following and brand myself. Although I was still writing and producing music, I knew there was a lot of work and time between creating music and getting to a level that you could make a living off that music. I was not opposed to hard work, but at this point I had started a family and my mindset was to make money the quickest way possible. And of course through music.

As my DJ business started to gain traction and turn the corner financially, I had pushed the idea of making a living as a songwriter or producer to the back burner. Then a global, catastrophic event occurred that disrupted the rhythm of every single person in world. An event that would bring life as we knew it to a halt and will change the course of history forever. Just a few of months into 2020, with my DJ business in full swing, the start of the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world. Live events across the globe were cancelled. I had about 6 months of DJ gigs booked. For the first time I since I had started my DJ business, I could forecast revenue for half of a year. So much for that idea.

The previous year, a musician friend of mine, had mentioned an opportunity to license music to a sport organization to me. Although, I was not in the position to take advantage of the opportunity at the time, it did plant a seed in me to investigate music licensing. I started researching the industry and finding online resources to learn this sector of the music and entertainment business. With my DJ business in what I thought was a comfortable place leading into the next year, I had already decided that 2020 was going to be the year I invested more time back into writing and creating music. Little did I know at the time this decision would be a catalyst for my new career path. Another idea.

Just as the pandemic was starting, I enrolled in an online music licensing songwriting cohort. Although I had been in music for quite some time, this proved to be a new and welcoming challenge. I had to figure out how to write music for visual media, which was different and more nuanced that just simply composing music. At least initially. It took months of daily learning, collaborating, creating, and reiterating. I felt the most vulnerable had ever felt as a creator, but it was everything I needed and more at that time. It allowed me to move from ideation to pitching my music to actual music buyers. That course led me down a rabbit to finding other tools, resources and communities in this space.

Within a year a so I had a sizable catalog of music and eventually landed my first placement in a streaming series. As I began to build relationships and learn more about the business, more placements followed. Today I have over 50 placements and counting. I’ve built me of team of amazing, trusted collaborators and we are all pursuing this business together. I’ve become a subject matter expert in the field and have spoken on panels at conferences. As an advocate for creatives finding ways to monetize their work, I often have the opportunity to educate fellow creatives in various communities. I continue to learn, create and reiterate as a student of the business. It’s a business that, like most every industry, is ever changing. There are obstacles, barriers and uncharted waters to face, but the challenge is stay to course and always remember the mission. Make a living through music.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a music producer, songwriter, DJ and owner of Sound Decision Consulting, LLC, a music production and consulting firm that works with artist and brands all over the globe. We specialize in crafting distinct modern music to help drive the unique stories and vision of brands and content creators. I’m also the founding member of the music collective Tape Pop.

I originally pursued sync (licensing music for visual media) because I saw an opportunity to service a need for the people who actually still buy music. With the advent of streaming services the sale of music to the public is almost non-existent. Most music is consumed through digital streaming platforms at a rate that pales in comparison to the revenue that is earned by music creators. Digital music streaming services allow consumers to consume a nearly infinite amount of music for a flat rate.

On the other hand, new visual content is being created at a rate never seen before in history. When you account for the growing number of TV, film, visual streaming platforms, advertisements, video games, social media platforms and a plethora of other medium, there is no shortage of content being published daily. Content creators need music. Gone are the times when content creators can grab any song use it for free in their content (legally). That’s where music professionals like myself come in. We provide the music that helps your favorite brands and visual creators build their identity, tell compelling stories and ultimately sell products and/or services. These entities must pay for the use of music, and they pay at a rate far greater than what music streaming services pay to the music creators. It’s also a great way for music creators to gain expose, which may in turn increase their streaming numbers.

I set out to produce great sounding music that competes with mainstream music in artistry and sound quality. My work has been featured in shows on Showtime, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, BET, USA Network, The CW, as well as promo spots for Creed x Hennessy to name a few. My company also composes custom music for music production houses, brands and ad agencies.

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

The resource that I wish I new about earlier in my career is knowledge of the music licensing industry. I did not find out about what music licensing was until 20+ years in to me creating music. I believe having that knowledge may have changed the way I created music early on and how fast I found success in the music and entertainment industry. I also believe the industry was much more lucrative in the early 2000s that it is now. While there is still a lot more opportunities now, I have to believe it is much more saturated currently.

At the same time I don’t necessarily regret not entering the space earlier. I have a saying that you get what you need at the specific time that you need it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is seeing something come to fruition that was once just a thought or idea in my mind. And further when someone appreciates what I create. And even further when someone appreciates what I create enough to recognize, reward or pay me. That’s the highest of the high in my opinion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.swanklifestyle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/messieursswank/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MessieursSwankLifestyle/
• Other: https://www.tapepopmusic.com/