Margaret Becker: Interview with singer, songwriter, producer Margaret Becker

MQ: Do you think the technology is going to be good as it will raise the bar and force artists to release albums that have more than one or two good songs?

MB: Yes. I thoroughly believe in that model. That's why I want us to support places like iTunes where you can buy track for track. I think it will bring the art form up. And personally, I'm never more angry when I pick up a record and there are only two great songs on the record. I feel like I'm totally ripped off! So I would much rather go on iTunes and listen to twenty seconds and decide which songs I want. There are a lot of times when I don't buy an entire record - I buy six songs and I don't miss the other four. I think technology is great for that - but I think we are so late to the game. I think iTunes is the most proactive force in that area because first they created the listening box, then they created the environment, they did it right. But I think the record companies are in such a bad place because they are so late to the game. Right now the consumer is so used to getting it for free that you have to get them something for free in order to get them to purchase it correctly. Hence, the remixes that show up on iTunes that appear nowhere else. I love that. That drives me there. I want to buy Annie Lennox 'Bare' so I can get the four remixes for free. All that stuff is gonna make us better and more efficient and make us give the consumers what they want.

(We shifted gears here to talk about trends in radio...)

MB: Right now our radio is formulaic because they have found that, unfortunately, they have done really in-depth studies that they weren't able to do before now technology allows them to do it. What they have found is that the average listener listens for 15 minutes. That's the 15 minute drive taking the kids to school, coming home from work, getting up for work in the morning before you hop in the shower: it's a 15 minute window. In addition to that information, they have found that they can get, what they consider to be accurate listener response, by introducing songs and asking for feedback. By those two things combined, the conclusion they've come to - most of the bigger stations especially, and the smaller ones are mimicking them, is that: people don't want to hear a whole bunch of music. Generally, it's only a 15 minute window and they're choosing 12-15 cuts... total... in their rotation, and they're just recycling them every 15 minutes. So for the true listener who is listening an hour, it's like seeing the same commercial come on every single time - you know how they do that sometimes? It's like, "If I see that one more time I'm going to ...." It's driving the more dedicated listener away and drawing in the short term listener and this is why: because their advertisers know that every 15 minutes that audience is going to churn, and the next 15 minute segment is as dedicated as the prior one. They can charge more for those moments because that advertiser knows that, "If I run my spot four times in an hour, I'm speaking to four different sets of people - and they're all people who want to tune in there." So I'm going to have four great impressions rather than - I'm telling you the same thing four times. Here's a caveat, and why it's probably not going to change, is that these stations have now gleaned since applying this formula, more revenue. Some of them have gone from #5 in their market, #6, #10 - to #1 - above rock stations, above every station in that market. So, it's like ... it's this big, bad, horrible decision making thing coming down the road saying, "Feed me more!" (laugh) But it's working - it's so working! And that's unfortunate because bands and artists that really should get a shot will not get a shot in this environment. They're going to stick to middle-aged artists that they know really work well...a couple of newcomers that they have been convinced will work well...and these really odd one-offs.

MQ: Do you still work with indie artists - through your webite?

MB:Yep. Submit a demo and there's a staff that listens to it. Eventually, if it fits the grid for what we're looking for, it culls through to the top and we'll put it up. But it's never a commentary on someone's talent levels. Sometimes I'm looking for jazz, sometimes I'm looking for orchestration, it depends on what hits the staff at that moment. Margaret Becker talks about the GMA Academy That's the main thing people need to know, that it's not about talent because the people that send me stuff are really talented people. But there are other really great resources - the Academy of Gospel Music Arts - run by the GMA. They're actually a touring school and they go to major cities and do three day hands on seminars with industry professionals like John Mays, Dan Keene, myself, Charlie Peacock. All these different people are there critiquing, helping, and refining people's art and helping them get hooked up and hooked in. So the AGMA is an incredible resource. There are also a lot of indie conferences going on around the country that are very helpful. If you just type in 'CCM indie' in a search engine, it'll take you to most of those. But honestly, the AGMA is one that I've done now for 5 or 6 years as a teacher - and it's amazing. It's worth the cost and worth taking a weekend out of your life to go there.

Margaret Becker interview continued...