NARIP Presents
A&R Today: An Evening with Hitmaker Ron Fair
on Wednesday, March 26, 2014
DETAILS
Veteran A&R exec Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Black Eyed Peas, Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, Pussycat Dolls) Chief Creative Officer / Executive Vice President at Virgin Records America (Capitol/Universal Music Group) launches NARIP’s A&R Sessions series on March 26 in Los Angeles. Fair will discuss how to make hits, major label talent acquisition practices, the future of A&R, and if time permits, he will provide live feedback to music presented
to him (details below).
Fair’s 34 years of experience at major labels have yielded 100+ million worldwide album sales, his recordings have won six Grammy awards and have been nominated for Grammys 21 times.
ALSO
- What types of music work best for majors and indies…and what they avoid.
- How cultural trends affect signings, releases and marketing.
- Making the right record: selecting producers and the team.
- The importance of touring to developing artists.
Join us to hear from this industry game-changer.
ANNOUNCING NARIP A&R SESSIONS
This inaugural event will be a conversation with Fair, to include limited
listening and feedback from him to music if time permits. The remainder of NARIP’s A&R Series will be small, intimate pitch sessions (limited to 12 participants) with some of the best A&R executives in the business today. At each NARIP A&R Session, one A&R exec will listen and respond to material presented to him for analysis and consideration for label acts who accept outside material. NARIP’s series will include two dates in March, three
dates in April, 4 dates in May, and one date in June.
Scroll down for more details.
ABOUT RON FAIR
Ron Fair is a 34 year major-label record company veteran. He is an accomplished producer, arranger, recording engineer, musical director and A&R Executive. Ron Fair currently holds the position of Chief Creative Officer / Executive Vice President – Virgin Records America – a division of the Capitol/Universal Music Group. Over the past decade, Fair served as Chairman, Geffen Records, and President, A&M Records- divisions of the Interscope / Geffen / A&M-Universal Music Group. Ron Fair’s recordings have won six Grammy awards and have been nominated for Grammys 21 times.
Now in his first year running the re-vamped Virgin Records (based at the storied Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood) is Fair overseeing the breakthrough of UK band Bastille, currently at number 3-Hot 100 with over 2 million single sales/downloads and a rapidly-approaching-gold album. Virgin’s first year will see debut albums released by hit-songwriter Priscilla; pop-girl-group The Rosso Sisters; alternative band Grizfolk, R&B star Mike Jay, plus the return of Corrinne Bailey Rae.
Fair is noted for discovering and shepherding Christina Aguilera to ten number-one singles, over 50 million worldwide album sales and numerous Grammy awards. Fair championed the Black Eyed Peas to 27 million albums, 4 number-one singles and multiple-Grammy-wins. He oversaw and produced the Pussycat Dolls on their seven-million-selling Grammy-nominated debut album, yielding five international number-one singles. Previously as an A&R Executive at RCA Records, Fair discovered and signed Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson in the girl-trio Wild Orchid. He later re-signed Fergie, where under his direction she joined the Black Eyed Peas, leading to her 5-million-selling Grammy-nominated solo album “The Duchess,” yielding three number-1 singles including “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Fair was co-producer of Mary J. Blige’s #1 hit “Be Without You” – its 18 weeks at number-one set the record as the longest-running number one R&B hit in Billboard’s history; winning three Grammys, and achieving over 3 million album sales. He co-produced “Lady Marmalade” (Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, Lil’ Kim) the international number-one from “Moulin Rouge” selling over 3 million copies. He brought England’s superstar band Snow Patrol to the US, selling a million-plus on the number-1 hit “Chasing Cars.” He discovered, developed and produced Grammy nominee and triple-platinum vocalist Keyshia Cole – yielding nine number-one R&B hits. He guided Vanessa Carlton to a double-platinum Grammy-nominated debut album- producing and arranging her number-1 hit “A Thousand Miles.” He was executive producer of the 8-million-selling soundtrack “Pretty Woman” and the 5-million-selling soundtrack “Reality Bites.” He produced two contemporary jazz albums for superstar Queen Latifah, selling a million copies combined. Ron’s was responsible for the worldwide million-selling success of Il Volo – the trio of award-winning teen-aged Italian operatic tenors.
Ron Fair is the recipient of the MMF’s British Music Roll of Honour, an award presented for contributions made to the British music industry as an American. Among the successful acts Ron Fair has produced, A&R’d and worked with in England are: GO WEST, JULIAN COPE, ASWAD, NICOLE SCHERZINGER, WHITE LIES, KATE NASH, SNOW PATROL, ELBOW and U2.
Aside from his duties as an executive and producer, Fair is well-known for his searing orchestral string arrangements that have appeared on hits by The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Fergie as well as his powerful vocal arrangements. He has served as musical director and performed on numerous television shows including the Grammys, The Latin Grammys; The BET Awards, Saturday Night Live, American Idol; The Voice; Home for the Holidays & Christmas in Washington. The Faircraft Records label is affiliated with Universal Republic Records. Faircraft’s first release is the debut album and Wal-Mart Exclusive Christmas EP for “Voice” finalist Chris Mann.
Ron Fair was born and raised in Los Angeles. He met his mentor, Oscar-winning composer Bill Conti, while engineering a recording session in Los Angeles in 1976. As Bill Conti’s assistant, Fair earned his first gold record – the recording and mixing of the original soundtrack to the classic film “ROCKY.” Prior to running Virgin Records, Fair was Chairman of Geffen Records for 5 years, President of A&M Records for five years, and held senior A & R positions at RCA Records, Chrysalis Records, EMI Records, and Island Records-London.
He lives in Brentwood with his songwriter-producer wife Stefanie. They have four children. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, plays jazz piano and vibraphone; loves gardening, cooking, swimming, and dressing elegantly.
BONUS #1
NARIP Members Get Feedback To Music From Ron Fair. If space permits, NARIP members have the opportunity to have one (1) song played live at our event to receive direct feedback from Ron Fair. Only NARIP member material will be selected to receive feedback (one submission per member). To have YOUR (or your artist’s) material critiqued by Ron, fill out the form you receive in the auto-responder when your online registration is complete.
- Only NARIP member material (or NARIP member client material) will be accepted. If you’re not a NARIP member yet, what are you waiting for?! Receive many benefits of NARIP membership for as little as $9.95 per month, join here now.
- Your track MUST be submitted in advance using the submission form you will receive when your online registration is complete.
THANK YOU
Special thanks to Cecilia Berry and Candace Koller at the Los Angeles Film School for hosting NARIP’s event
WHEN
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
6:30 p.m. – Registration and networking
7:00 p.m. – Program begins
8:15 p.m. – Break
9:30 p.m. – Program ends
WHERE
Los Angeles Film School
6363 Sunset Boulevard
Main Theater
Los Angeles, CA 90028
PARKING & DIRECTIONS
Click here for map. Closest parking is in the first parking structure on Ivar north of Sunset.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Artist Managers, Producers & Artist Reps
A&R, Artist Development and Marketing Executives
Record, Distribution & Music Publishing Executives
Anyone seeking opportunities in the modern music business.
COST
$20 NARIP Members
$40 Non-Members
2 WAYS TO REGISTER
1. Online: www.narip.com (just scroll down)
2. Phone: 818-769-7007
Advance RSVP encouraged.
Pre-paid admission guarantees seating.
No refunds.
We appreciate your cooperation.
BONUS #2
Because you are registering for this program, we offer you the opportunity to pre-order the MP3 recording of the program for only $20 (regularly $39.95). This will also include digital copies of documents distributed at the program. This program will cover a great deal of information, and so you won’t have to worry about taking notes! To pre-order now, select the Premium Ticket option below, the mastered recording will be emailed to you within 2-3 weeks after our program (if not sooner).
NARIP A&R PITCH SESSIONS
NARIP proudly presents A&R Pitch Sessions. Meet the industry’s top A&R execs, pitch them music for their current needs and artists who take outside material in an intimate setting, and receive their immediate feedback. Dates announced soon!
Watch this 7-minute video of recent NARIP A&R Pitch Sessions and hear the results!
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QUESTIONS
Call us at 818-769-7007 or email mary AT narip DOT com.
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