Volume 2, Issue #3

Angela Shella

As a native New Yorker, Angela Shella knows the value of persistence. Driven by her desire to become an accomplished singer and songwriter, Angela lives for the hustle and bustle of New York City. "It provides a plethora of opportunities even though it is probably the most competitive environment for music."

The excessiveness of living in New York City can drive even the sanest artist to the deepest and darkest corners of their art. However, Angela keeps her roots in the church close to her heart. This strong core enables Angela to approach her music from a warm and positive vantage. This theme is abundantly apparent in her first release "Pretty Songs". The album includes soulful and spiritually charged tracks that encourage, inspire and move its listeners.

5 facts about Angela Shella:

1. Education is an important part of every musician’s life. To this end, Angela enrolled herself in New York University's school continuing education. It was here that she received her formal education about music publishing, licensing and copyrights. Her education also included how to create a label and distribute product through various independent and major distributors.

2. Following the footsteps of the singers that influenced her (Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker and Toni Braxton), Angela prefers to contribute to the production and/or writing of each song she sings. In this light, she is able to have a personal relationship with the song. She also enjoys the financial benefits of writing and/or producing her music.

3. Angela recognizes the value of exploiting her music in as many avenues as possible. After working on her first album she began traveling and networking to build relationships with industry professionals. Her travels have taken her to Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta. Moreover, she performs in showcases and visit key industry events to keep her name and music in front of decision makers.

4. One of Anglea's songs has been placed on two television shows. The song-"like a train"- was used on the Bernie Mac show (seen on Fox) and it was also used on 1-on-1 (seen on UPN). Encouraged by its success, Angela plans to continue using The Industry Resource as a primary vehicle for promoting her music to the industry professionals.

5. Developing a live performance album and continuing to shop her existing album are the primary objectives of Angela for 2004. Currently, she is collaborating with an up and coming producer out of the metro Boston area. She also plans to leverage the successes of "like a train" by continuing to market it to music supervisors and publishers with strong ties to TV & Film.

Cassidy

This Philadelphia native is no strager to lyrical battles. His brash, street- smart style has gave him instant credibility on a local radio station in Philadelphia.

From there he was able to connect with mega-producer Swizz Beats. Since then he has signed with Swizz's label (distributed through J Records). He has also released his first major hit "Hotel" with veteran R. Kelly. This single has had significant success on Hip-Hop and Pop radio stations, and has also been played on MTV2.

"Split Personality", Cassidy's debut album was released on March 23rd, 2004.

5 questions for Cassidy:

1. How did you get your start? “Basically, I called into the Cipher, a local Philly radio show, and told them that no one can touch me. From there I won my first show. I continued on as champ for the next month. Then they retired me. The rest is history.”

2. How long have you be rocking the mic? “The first performance I can remember giving was during the 3rd grade. The song I performed was about fire safety (Pay attention/There's something I'd like to mention/The rules and the safety about fire prevention). I guess that means I have been holding it down for about 13 years. In case you were wondering, I was 15 year old when I won that battle on the Cipher."

3. What did you think of working with R. Kelly? “Simply put the man is a genius. He has an uncanny ability to take a concept and make a hit song. He has had incredible success as a singer, songwriter and producer. When I was approached with the concept of Hotel, I had to use it. It was a pleasure working with the "R" and I would definately work with him again."

4. Have you met Clive Davis? “Funny you should ask that question. The first time I met Mr. Davis, he had me freestyle for him. He would choose a topic and I would give him this style or that style. The topics ranged from girls, to cars to my neighborhood. When it was all said and done this session ended up lasting for about two hours. Truth be told I wasn't intimidated when we met, but I didn't expect I would have to flow for two plus hours.”

5. What is next for Cassidy? “This project was a great learning experience for me. I recognize that I am still young and new to this game, so I want to grow and develop my talents. From there I may explore other options in entertainment, but until that time I am focused on being the best artists that I can be. Naturally, I am looking forward to touring so keep your eyes open and ears peeled.”

Q: Why should I consider videogames placement for my song(s)?

-- Tracer 5, Phase n' Light

A: In today’s extremely volatile market aspiring and established artists must continue to promote--dare I say exploit--their songs in every available entertainment vehicle. This includes film, TV, commercials, and yes videogames.

Believe it or not EA Trax, sister company to EA Sports earned the first platinum videogame soundtrack certification from the RIAA for NBA Live 2003. This huge accomplishment has prompted many labels to submit new and established artists for consideration on new titles beig released from gaming companies. In fact, groups like N.E.R.D, Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx have experienced increased sales because of their inclusion in videogames like FIFA 2004, NBA Live 2003 and SSX3.

It should be noted that a few years ago this space was virtually unheard of. However, as labels and publishers looked for more ways to increase their artists market reach the competition in this space has increased dramatically. Therefore, you should expect huge amounts of competition for the slots that you are able to find/submit to. And as always we strongly recommend that you continue to network and build your database of music supervisors at companies like EA and Rockstar.

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