Welcome to the Jungle

(Music Pro Guides). Thousands of people try to make it as freelancers in the music and audio industries. Most of them fail, and not because they lack talent or the will to succeed. They fail because no matter how much training they've received or how hard they've practiced, they don't know how to face the challenges that await them in the "real world." No matter how much technical or musical skill aspirants may have acquired, there is always a huge gap in their understanding of how that world works. Do they understand how to behave in a professional environment? When to talk and when to listen? What about developing a personal work ethic, a support system, and a reasonable set of immediate and future plans to make goals into realities? In his dual role as a successful music and audio freelancer of over 30 years and tenured college professor, Jim Klein has not only the knowledge of what it takes to succeed as a freelancer in the competitive fields of music and audio, but also the understanding of exactly what the new aspirant needs to know to take on that world. Klein has crafted his advice into a book that is detailed, complete, and easy to understand. Welcome to the Jungle includes chapters on setting goals, networking, building a portfolio, time management, personal and professional finances, and dealing with the ups and downs of the freelance career. The book also includes interviews with successful music and audio freelancers, such as legendary producer Howard Benson (Kelly Clarkson, Santana, Daughtry), producer/engineer Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, U2, Elvis Costello), bassist Julie Slick, and others.