We were lucky to catch up with Sam Glaser recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made?
Like most college graduates, I entered my professional life with an enthusiastic blend of hope and naiveté. I worked as a musician and journalist, I helped out in my dad’s garment business, and I opened my first recording studio. I had the energy to do it all…or so I thought. I had some money saved up that I wanted to grow in the quickest, most pain free manner possible. I tried currency trading, an organic market and pyramid schemes. I was like a kid stepping up to a poker table for the first time, an easy mark. When my initial investment decisions failed miserably, I became disillusioned and found it harder to trust. Any money I poured into my studio, however, came back to me in spades. Growing from 8 track to 16, then finally the holy grail of 24 tracks cost a fortune back in the “olden days.” There was no such thing as a laptop or Garage Band. The limitations made me more creative, taught me about problem solving and soaking every last ounce of capability out my gear. The investment in the studio was an investment in myself. If I didn’t believe enough in myself to build my own business, to put it all on the line, who else would? It’s great for creative types to play the stock market or whatever, but not at the expense of refining your craft.
Sam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a composer, performer and producer. Born and raised on the piano. I do gigs mostly in North America, solo or with my band, mostly in the spiritual rock-pop-jazz genre. Thankfully I have 26 albums out and more on the way. My pre-COVID schedule was hitting the road every other weekend for mini-tours of 3-7 days, mostly on the east coast. My “day-gig” in LA is running my studio, Glaser Musicworks. I specialize in album production but also do music for TV, film and podcasts and lately, audiobook production.
Recently I had a journalist in my studio interviewing me about upcoming shows. As he thumbed through the stacks of my client’s albums on display he asked how many I’ve completed. I told him that I’ve produced about 130 full-length albums over the decades. I expressed how I feel blessed to do what I do, spending quality time with my clients, digging into who they are as humans and making timeless treasures for their fans. He then asked how many songs have been released with the production credit in my name. I did some math and figured it’s well over 1200. We Googled “most music production credits” and I laughed when I saw that I have more credits than George Martin or Rick Rubin. Of course, I’m not working with The Beatles or Tom Petty. But in terms of the sheer number of fully-produced records out there, I can stand with my heroes.
Can you tell us how you pivoted as a result of COVID?
When live music abruptly ended in 2020, I had an active studio in place and was able to attract performers who suddenly had time on their hands, who were looking for private, sanitized spaces for their productions. I was just grateful I could continue to support my family. We had to innovate new recording processes, repeatedly test for disease and get into the latest technologies of file sharing over the web. Keep in mind that many of the best players in the world live in LA and also needed work…so there was no shortage of talent to play on people’s tracks, from bands like Lady Gaga, Usher, Stevie Wonder and Gwen Stefani. Thankfully my studio is built with separate soundproofed rooms from the main recording space…so even during a pandemic, musicians could still play together. There’s no way to replace the unique spontaneity that erupts when great players are jamming in the same space. My productions typically involve musicians moving air, in other words, not just moving ones and zeroes in a computer. We’re more likely to create something timeless with gifted people on actual instruments.
My years making music for film and TV broadened my musical palate and showed me how when one door closes another opens. For a while I was the in-house music guy for the Warner Brothers TV Network. One of my tasks was replacing temp tracks. Directors and editors often edit footage using popular music that they can’t use in the final production. I would be tasked with writing a similar but not too similar song that would match the vibe, length and tempo, in genres as broad as classical, rock, jazz, R&B, rap and metal. I pushed my abilities and gear to the edge, got to employ my local LA musician friends and accumulate an ever-expanding demo reel of eclectic recordings. This work ended as commercial music libraries came to fruition. Now the editors had thousands of music pieces exquisitely recorded and categorized for one low annual price, in fact, about as much as it cost for them to hire me to score a single cue. So yeah, I had to pivot, and record production was the next step for me.
This was also the time that my own career started to take off. So instead of producing “disposable” music for media, I was able to create albums of the music of my dreams, and luckily I found audiences that cherished them. Call me stubborn: I recognize that most don’t own CD players anymore, but I keep all my titles in inventory! Lately, musicians have watched helplessly as music has become a commodity like tap water. Essentially free, forever. Streaming was proposed as a solution for piracy. I long for the days of piracy! At least at that point, the honest folks would pony up for their favorite albums so there was an income stream for music makers. Nowadays the great majority of musicians never get the millions of listens necessary to get a decent check. A .003 cent royalty rate guarantees that 99.9% of recording artists out there will never make a living at the craft they spent a lifetime perfecting. One thousand new fans and you still can’t buy a cup of coffee. Time for another pivot?
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
One thing that has informed my career is a search for truth. Music is truth. Just like a major key baseball cheer on the stadium organ creates a happy mood, music can inspire terror, wonder, or love. This quality of music is cross-cultural and timeless. Movies may be dubbed in different languages, but they use the same score worldwide. When I work with a client, I create an atmosphere of truth. I search for the core message in their music. I arrange the instruments to bring each song to its natural, highest form. I tweak lyrics until they are clear and penetrating. Part of the mix process is subtractive. You spend tens of hours creating a sound and then you pull away any parts that are unnecessary. You whittle this musical sculpture until you are down to the core of the song. When an artist releases this kernel of truth in the world, hopefully fans respond in a visceral way. Audiences have a built in BS detector. Music that is rich and powerful blows away barriers. Of course, this search for truth has a more practical side as well. I work extremely fast. I’m super conscious of the time involved in the process and I bill accurately. I have decades of experience calculating budgets so the pain of going in the red is reduced. My personal spiritual practice as a Jew anchors me in a realm of trust and integrity. And our kosher kitchen and endless coffee supply keeps everyone fed and energized!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samglaser.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam.glaser
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/9sammyg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samglaser/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamGlaser