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    Shredding Light: How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits
    Shredding Light: How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits
    Shredding Light: How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits
    Ebook103 pages2 hours

    Shredding Light: How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits

    By Charles Caswell

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    About this ebook

    When the band I played guitar for was offered a recording contract with North America's largest independent record label, I thought my career as a "real" musician was just beginning. But after being misled by management, rushed into recording an album, and physically wearing myself out on tour, I knew there had to be a better way to make my lifelong career goals a reality.

    Now, through strategic use of the internet, thoughtful and uninhibited songwriting, and several creative product ideas, I am making more of a living for myself than I ever was while signed to a label, having my career imposed upon me by other people.

    In this book you will learn about my story to get to the success I enjoy today as a musician. I will compare the life of a traditionally signed musician to the freedom of an independent career, and I will share the practice habits, goal-setting techniques, and even health habits that have helped me achieve my musical accomplishments. You'll learn budgeting tips, time management skills, and I'll share my opinions on which pieces of gear are worth including in a musician's rig.

    Most of all, I hope to show you that, no matter which type of music career you decide is right for you, any limitations on you and your goals are artificial. Your music career can be anything you want it to be, as long as you make smart decisions and maintain dedication to your objectives.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCharles Caswell
    Release dateMay 26, 2016
    ISBN9781311480477
    Shredding Light: How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits
    Author

    Charles Caswell

    Charles Caswell is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and author from Maple Lake, Minnesota. He developed an interest in music at an early age that, through hard work and determination, evolved into a national touring career under North America’s largest independent record label. He is now working on his own under his brand/band name Berried Alive, sharpening his skills in all areas of his business to become a truly independent artist.

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      Book preview

      Shredding Light - Charles Caswell

      Shredding Light

      How My Experiences in Today's Music Industry Can Help You Push Past Your Own Artificial Limits

      Charles Caswell

      as told to Kaylie Caswell

      Copyright © 2016 by Berried Alive, LLC

      All rights reserved.

      This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Ebook cover design by www.ebooklaunch.com

      This book is dedicated to my fans.

      Thank you for supporting me while I do what I love.

      Chapter One: Introduction

      Important Aspects of My Music Career

      I am writing this book because, after years of struggling to make a name for myself as a musician, after taking the traditional route and signing under a record label and now going own my own in the music world, I've learned a lot about the state of today's music business. My aim for this book is to save musicians tons of time by providing them with guidance from an experienced person who shares similar goals. I've dealt with labels, managers, touring, and endorsement deals with companies within the industry, and I want musicians who are either younger than I am or have similar objectives as me to know what to expect before they take the leap into the business like I did.

      This book is for aspiring musicians who are trying to improve all aspects of their career and performance. Many of my guitar students and fans keep asking me the same questions, and I wanted to provide answers in one place, so they can use this book as a guide when making decisions such as to whether or not to go independent as a musician, how to balance life and a music career, and even how I warm up and practice. I am a guitar player first (though I also sing), so many of my examples come from a guitar player's point of view, but much of this information can be applied to any instrument. The rules are similar, no matter what you are trying to accomplish.

      What I want you to get out of this book is what matters most in a musician's career: the ability to maintain your health and balance your life while learning and honing your skills to become the best musician you can be. This book includes physical and mental health practices for musicians, strategies to minimize stress, and financial management tips. You'll learn practice routines and workout routines to supplement your practice routines so you can push yourself to become a better musician.

      I also want to share my experiences, good and bad, for people who aspire to do the same things I aspired to do. This book will cover the ups and downs of the music industry, including touring, performing with a band, practicing, and improving your writing. I will also give some examples from my own life and music career, so you can learn from my own experiences.

      I've wasted thousands of dollars on equipment, invested hours and way too much money in the wrong places, and now I want to show you what is truly worth your time and money and what can be cut out in order to streamline your success. I want my readers to know what it's really like to deal with a record label. I was told a lot of bullshit during my time in a signed band, and I want to bring clarity to many really important decisions musicians have to make.

      I've been playing guitar for about fifteen years now, and I've been a guitar instructor for a few years as well. My last band was signed to eOne, the largest independent record label in North America. I was featured playing my signature Legator guitar in Guitar World magazine, and have worked in a professional recording studio with a well-known metal producer. My last band sold thousands of albums while I was a member, making the Billboard charts, and we were part of several United States tours and festivals.

      I've accomplished many things most young musicians want to achieve through the traditional route of a record label and touring, and now I've built a decent following on my own as an independent artist through the proper use of the internet. I've successfully built up my own presence with my independent project, Berried Alive, and I'm proud to say that I am accomplishing many goals I have made for myself as an independent musician and businessman. I run my own merch store, manage all my own social media accounts, and I've learned to schedule and coordinate my own releases for maximum exposure.

      I'm still actively building up my own independent music business, and I want to show my readers how they can start to grow their own following the same way. I want to show musicians that they don't need others to frame their careers for them. In today's music industry, you can do more for yourself than ever before without having to depend on bandmates, managers, or even record labels to give you your big break in life. Your brand can be as big as you're willing to take it through your own hard work and by expanding your knowledge base.

      Take hold of your future and don't give anyone the opportunity to ruin your potential.

      Early Life

      I always wanted to play guitar growing up. My parents were older than the parents of most kids my age, and they always played Elvis, so I grew up wanting to sing and play guitar like him. Eventually, I picked up a really old, broken acoustic my dad had. It had a couple tuning knobs and a string missing, but I started playing it anyway, learning songs by ear and using a penny as a pick. I didn't have an actual pick, but I really wanted one. I thought they were the coolest.

      My dad was always tinkering around with stuff in the garage (it's where he spent most of his time). One day he came into the house with a pick he'd made out of a Hot Wheels track I didn't play with anymore. That was my very first pick. I immediately started to write my own songs and record them on blank cassette tapes. I wanted to sing too, but I was always too shy.

      Besides music, my other passion in life as a child was basketball. Unfortunately, my legs had grown improperly so that they bowed out from the knee down. My doctor examined the problem, took X-rays, and said my legs needed to be straightened so I wouldn't suffer knee and back trouble in the future, and it needed to be done immediately, before my growth spurt. The timing with basketball season wasn't as important as getting my legs corrected so they wouldn't be bowed out forever. Nobody expected that I'd be able to participate in basketball the following season.

      When I was eleven, I underwent a surgery where large staples were inserted into the growth plates on the insides of both my knees to slow down the growth on the inner knee caps. That way, when I hit my growth spurt, my legs grew back in, toward each other instead of continuing to grow outward. They even over-corrected themselves, so the staples were removed slightly before the end of my growth spurt, allowing my legs to continue to grow straight.

      This was a painful surgery; the staples were an inch wide and an inch long and inserted directly into my growth plate. I wasn't able to do anything on my own and was stuck on the couch for a couple weeks, completely unable to bend my knees. I took physical therapy, trying to bend my knees farther and farther with each session. At first I walked with a walker, then crutches, and finally a cane before I could walk normally again.

      My parents and the doctor hadn't even considered the possibility that I'd play basketball that season. All they were concerned with was the surgery actually working, since it was such a rare procedure. But I was determined to play basketball that year. At that time, the sport was the most important thing in my life. I had a few months before the season started and I worked my ass off with physical therapy and leg strengthening exercises, and to everyone's surprise

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