Whether it be taking out a "drummer wanted" ad or forming a rock group in your prep school classroom, the beginnings of a successful band can come in many forms. For Tufts senior Alan Cohen, however, the road to success in the music industry is more calculated than the average dumb-luck "Behind the Music" success story.
After several years of working in 'the business,' Cohen can say from experience that success in music is about more than being a great musician. "To start a career in the music industry, you have to know the politics of it," he said.
Cohen, who has recorded an album with his band, Family Junction, and is currently working on a solo project, started early in the day-to-day workings of the music industry. In high school, bored by the mass-produced pop sounds he heard on the radio, Cohen discovered the independent music scene and, in particular, the now-defunct group Dispatch.
Following their shows at fraternities, clubs, and bars in the New York-New Jersey area, Cohen soon became a core member of the group's fan base and even formed friendships with the members of the band. During Cohen's freshman year at Tufts, Dispatch opened an office in Porter Square, and they asked Cohen to join them as an intern.
While promoting the group's Northeast tour, Cohen picked up valuable lessons that would help to fuel his own music career. As Cohen said, "[The music industry] is more about forming relationships with people. [It] works pretty informally."
Despite the informality of the industry network, Cohen has managed to capitalize on every opportunity, yielding him some profitable experiences. During his freshman year at Tufts, thanks to a friendship formed through connections with Dispatch, Cohen was asked to perform at The House of Blues in Cambridge.
Not wanting to perform his act alone, Cohen called on some old friends he met during his childhood summers at camp in the Poconos. The group of friends gathered together just a few days before their performance, but despite their minimal preparation time, the group managed to pull together what they felt was a promising show. "I think we all thought we sounded better than we imagined we would, so that kind of started the whole band thing," Cohen said.
From that point on, as a working musician as well as a member of the music industry, Cohen embarked on his two-pronged approach to gaining success in music. Today, he continues to develop expertise on the business end while developing his own work as an artist. "I think the best way to attack it is from both sides," he said.
Eventually, Cohen would like to play a managerial role in the industry as well as perform actively as a musician, and he is counting on his insider's experience to propel him and his band to success.
"I have definitely used what I have learned working with Dispatch and Guster [where he now works in online merchandise sales] to help my band," Cohen said. "Other bands, while they have to worry about writing songs, they also have to learn to book shows, meet the right people, everything all at once. We don't have to worry so much about that."
While Cohen continues to develop his networking savvy, he hasn't forgotten the importance of the music. As a singer, songwriter, bassist, and guitarist, Cohen draws on a variety of musical inspirations. Cohen recalled, "When I was little, maybe four, I would have my parents put on Janis Joplin or the Beach Boys, stuff that little kids don't usually listen to."
Today, Cohen cites Duke Ellington as one of his main inspirations, due to Ellington's approach to music and composing. "He didn't limit himself. All his songs are all over the spectrum; he let his creative juices flow," Cohen said.
In his own music, Cohen tries to use a similar approach, aiming to create something unique each time he plays, whether alone or with his band. He said, "A lot of bands get caught up in the mentality of 'their sound.' It's very limiting. We're doing the opposite of that, because if you don't set limitations, you can go anywhere."
