“How Music Works” by David Byrne

The book list continues with the fantastic tome How Music Works by David Byrne (of Talking Heads):

Part general music history overview, part auto-biography, part career retrospective, this book looks at the history of our musical culture in general and examines the specifics of this history through the lens of the career path of the Talking Heads frontman.

Some of the most relevant sections for readers of this channel are chapters 8-10: “Business and Finance”, “How to Make a Scene”, and “Amateurs!”:

Even though the Talking Heads eventually got very big, they came up working inside of the NYC/New England DIY art scene in the 1970s, which included Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, and many other “DIY” style’d bands from the CBGB venue scene that eventually broke through.

David Byrne has a unique perspective on these events, working as a DIY musician who also went to art school, and as a collaborator with artists from all sides of the table: he worked with graduates from the Rhode Island School of Design, completely untrained and intuitive musicians in the NYC punk and noise scene, and everyone in-between.

Many of his insights on grassroots organizing from the “How to Make a Scene” chapter still ring true today, and are great pieces of advice for anyone wanting to be a part of building authentic community inside a music scene.

The “Business and Finance” sections are told from his perspective as a major label artist looking at major label contracts in the pre-2000s era:. These kinds of contracts aren’t seen as much anymore, as the fundamental economics in the industry have changed. If you see any contracts from a major label like the ones described in this book, walk away immediately!

But, this chapter is still a fascinating look behind the business curtain from that time period. Byrne shares his budgets and spreadsheets for several different types of music projects he worked on, from major Talking Heads arena tours to smaller EP recordings and tours associated with his various side projects.

In many ways, David Byrne has enjoyed a career many would envy: getting just famous enough to do very well for himself, but not at the cost of selling his soul to a major label, and always continuing to be able to do his music on his own terms.

How Music Works is a behind the scenes look into how he made that happen.