According to Wilson, at the height of the British Invasion, The Beach Boys were friendly competition on the other side of the Atlantic. The Beatles and The Beach Boys were pioneering new musical innovations and Pet Sounds was regarded as genius due to its style and complexity. It and St. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club band heralded a whole new level of musical expectations and creativity. During that time, the recording studios shifted from using three to eight tracks. There was much anticipation for the follow up to Pet Sounds. A number of obstacles such as issues with the record company, problems in the band and the limitations in technology to sequence the album the way Brian envisioned prevented the completion of Smile. Looking back, many of the panelists commented that Wilson was ahead of his time with his ideas of "non-linear" songs.

Smile lyricist Van Dyke Parks and Darian Sahanaja, the Smile musical secretary, were among the panelists. They shared their personal insights into the project and the final results. When the original tapes of Smile were reviewed by Wilson's current touring band the project was considered as material for live performances only. But, slowly the idea of an album took shape. Those involved in the venture realized that the music was just as vital and relevant today as it was 37 years ago. About midway through the discussion, rock royalty Brian Wilson walked out on the stage and was given a standing ovation by the youthful audience, many of whom were born after The Beach Boys' heyday.

Van Dyke Parks was an important part of the project. It was he who suggested the use of different instruments such as strings and horns. He also penned lyrics for Brian's compositions. Darian discussed the fact that Brian surrounded himself with ace musicians and talked about the new musical connections that were made and the focus on each instrument as a means to tackling the completion of Smile.

According to Van Dyke Parks the theme of the original Smile was to present a "quilt work of American impressionism." In the mid to late 60's, the United States was in the heart of the un-popular Vietnam War and Brian was trying to capture other images of America. Ironically, the 2004 release of Smile coincides with the USA's involvement in another controversial, expensive and increasingly unpopular war.

David Leaf, author and documentary maker, directed "Beautiful Dreamer" – a film chronicling the making of Smile. The documentary included behind the scenes footage, tour rehearsals and interviews plus a rare talk with Brian Wilson himself. David discussed the filming and photographing of "Beautiful Dreamer".

According to Leaf, "It was an emotional roller coaster. Brian had the pressure to live up to high expectations from the past. The stress was making Wilson sick but Brian was determined to complete the project."

CMJ featured keynote speaker Al Franken, independent publishers and lots of music!

Leaf wanted to capture the essence of Brian Wilson the artist yet respect his rights and need for privacy. David cited an example when Paul McCartney dropped by and the two greats were talking. On the one hand it was an amazing moment in time that begged to be captured on film yet it was also very intimate.

"Just think," Leaf said. "These musicians are among the few who know the pressure of unprecedented expectations, it is an usual bond that not many could relate to," describing his decision to the turn the camera off as a compromise after briefly encapsulating the scene before pulling away.

The floor was opened to the audience for questions. Many lined up to rave the CD and had detailed inquires often directed at Brian. Mr. Wilson was hesitant to respond keeping his answers short. Brian seemed to lose focus if the questions were very wordy but Parks and the other panelists were able to knowledgeably respond. Time ran out before everyone had a chance to address the panel but I think all felt privileged to have seen and heard Brian Wilson in this open forum.

The CMJ 2004 Music Marathon hosted a diversity of discussions including one entitled Music and Politics. The panel was comprised of activists and musicians. Each gave a brief overview of their ideas about their political views and where music stood in the mix.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now articulated concern that political discussions are being suppressed at music venues. She relayed how the arts have a long tradition as a form of protest and expression. Thus, hindering artists hinders democracy. John Cale, a co-founding member of the Velvet Underground, basically said that literature and music contributes and speaks about the emotional and political life of a time even more so than the news. John built on Amy's idea that musicians must have freedom to express their views and concerns about government and world issues.

Saul Williams, a poet and musician, implied that all you say and do is political. He believes that the arts influence society and forms connections despite the fact that today's commercial music seems rife with apathy.

Jen Chapin of World Hunger Year (WHY), which was co-founded by her father Harry, called on people to become better citizens. She said that artists face the challenge of raising the bar and promoting awareness in a time when news is coming from limited sources. She discussed the injustice of hunger in a world where there is enough food for everyone. Greed and unfair distribution prevents supplies from reaching people in need. Jen discussed Artists Against Poverty, an organization that helps build community networks through job training, education and after school programs.

Ted Leo, a political punk artist, expounded on the point raised by Saul that life is political and said that he is proud to carry on a tradition of political music. Generally, each member of the panel expressed concern that people today think less and less despite vast, readily available information. They suggested other alternative sources for news such as WBAI, Democracy Now and the Internet.

The discussion moved on to the pros and cons of working with corporations. Mr. Williams had a good experiences with MTV who printed and played his poetry. Through MTV he was able to reach a wider audience than he would have on his own. Mr. Cale deals with Warner Brothers for his distribution but he is critical and concerned that media is controlled by a select few.

Jen expressed the idea that corporations are people too and many of them want to do good. For example, Infinity Broadcast forfeited profits to broadcast WHY events and raise awareness and funds for World Hunger Year. Ms. Chapin explained that people can speak out in many ways. Purchasing choices are an option as is finding groups that share common goals to make positive changes. People can succeed outside the corporate realm.

The panel was inspiring in their message that individuals and organizations can influence politics for the greater good. Music has and will continue to be an outlet for protest and personal expression. In the future, it may be the indie artists on smaller labels that will be releasing more political and somewhat controversial music.

Educational and nurturing forums were also a part of the CMJ conference. The Indie Label Summit discussed obstacles and strategy for success for up-and-coming musicians. The first chief point raised was that the major labels are only releasing radio friendly hits rather than artistic projects. Today, fewer people are buying records or they are getting their music via downloads. Also, there are a lot of bands out there and only limited venues to play at.

Despite these issues there are many options for artists. The first is touring and finding clubs to play and build a following at. Enthusiastic fans are often willing to join street teams and help promote your music. AAA, college radio and Internet stations are another place to get your music out and to move product. Having a good press package and preparing yourself and career with the eye to approaching labels yourself is also key.

The panel members believe that the indie community should share information and mentor in order to help bands grow. Smaller labels must be able to utilize opportunities in the digital and Internet age. Sometimes partnerships with majors can work. Hard work, flexibility and ingenuity will be key for indie musicians to succeed at their craft.

The theme of the weekend was Do It Yourself (DYI) with a focus on taking charge of your career. On Saturday, the Independent Press seminar featured a panel of experienced editors and owner/operators of music publications. They shared their personal experiences and expertise on the industry. They discussed their own magazines and music publications. Some started as a few stapled pages and grew to bounded publications with large readerships. They recommended fanzines are a potential big market and possible outlet for promoting music and offered suggestions on how to start a music magazine.

The panel advised that a well written press kit and website are important first steps in getting noticed by music writers who often have little time and a stack of music to consider for review. They advised that when sending CD's and press kits – personal letters and compelling stories have a better chance of getting to the top of a pile. Remember – many publications, even smaller outlets get lots of CD's in a day, therefore, the first three songs on the CD are important as they may be all that gets an initial hearing.

Other suggestions included networking and building partnerships and relationships with other bands and clubs. You should be inspired and passionate about your project, try to get family and friends involved. Content is key, know your audience and find out what venues and publications cater to that genre. After the question and answer part of the forum, the ballroom was empted for the next panel. The Indie Press panel spent time afterwards talking with participants while handing out current issues of their publications.

Other seminars over the weekend delivered powerful information that the independent artist could use to help move their careers upward and onward.

The most popular study panel of the weekend appeared to be the Music, Marketing, Publicity and Promotion meeting held on Saturday afternoon at the Westin Hotel. We observed several dozen disappointed participants who were closed out of the event. Those who were able to get in to the packed ballroom were treated to an hour's worth of insightful career advice and direction.

The moderator for this panel was Anne Leighton who has worked for nearly 30 years as a writer, radio broadcaster, publicist, and more. Leighton's forum was designed to help artists figure out where and how to get the word out about their projects – DIY-style.

"People really have to work. The goal is less to get a record deal now," Leighton said, describing how the business model of the music industry has changed over the years. "Artists have to figure out ways to get known, get known for their work. Artists have to get involved in hyping themselves. Indie artists may only have two gigs a month and until they have something to sell, meaning a full tour, why should they bother getting a publicist?"

Leighton did advise that artists should use tact while they are holding the reigns of their self-promotion machine.

"You do want to apply a gentle assistance when getting ahead," Leighton remarked, describing how artists need to be careful in plotting their career path. "Burning bridges is something you don't want to do in this business."

Frank Woodworth of Ariel Publicity was a panelist for the "Marketing Before Getting a Manager" seminar which aimed to provide direction to the indie artist who wanted to make a splash in the industry but wasn't ready for 24/7 representation. Frank cited an example from the history of one of the past decade's most influential collective of artists.

"Creativity was the over-riding theme. The best way to get noticed is to be creative," Woodworth said describing how the world of Hip Hop changed through the use of the band's frozen surroundings in Canada. Continuing he said, "Nadine of The Wu Tang Clan talked about how she would etch the band's famous symbol into the snow banks in Canada long before anyone knew who Wu-Tang was. The point was that you can't just rip-off what other artists have done, you have to develop your own thing to get the word out about your project."

The "Management Survival Guide" showcased experts who discussed the realities of being a manager, from how to stay afloat while trying to break an artist, to new legislation that affects the way artists and managers conduct their business. Stephen Garvan of Garvan Management, who overseas an active roster of artists from his Boulder, Colorado office, was the moderator of this panel.

"We only exist as managers as partners with the artists. To me it all boils down to the artist and the audience and every other function in the music business is an outgrowth of that. But, that core relationship is the artist and the audience. After all, the music is made to get out to that audience," Garvan said describing the approach he takes in working with his clients. "As managers we try to help propel that and make for successful revenue streams working with the labels, the booking agents, the publicists, the promoters and things like that."

The CMJ Music Marathon is presumably designed to serve as a primer into New York City geography as much as it is into exploring the world of college radio music. The 150-page festival guide comes complete with maps, mass transit tips and addresses for the dozens of clubs that played host to the hundreds of showcases on the east side, west side, Brooklyn, midtown Manhattan and Hoboken, New Jersey.

Each night of the conference, venues from the Acme Underground to Webster Hall showcased a multitude of bands and genres. Performers for 2004 included Sonic Youth, . . . And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Sparta, Camper Van Beethoven, Clinic, The Faint, The Concretes, Hope of the States, TV on the Radio, RJD2, The Decemberists, Mike Watt, Cut Copy and numerous other performers.

Mark your calendars now because next year CMJ will hit the quarter-century mark and they've already promised a big celebration and a larger event. I'm not sure have much more they could have in store for us but we're starting our work-out and conditioning program now to prepare for another marathon. See you at CMJ 25...!

Discussing music and politics at CMJ 2004!

Related Links: For more information on CMJ and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- CMJ Official Site | Buy Brian Wilson's Smile | WorldHungerYear.org

(Originally Published on December 01, 2004)