Congratulations to Bobbi Tammaro (aka “Funkee Boy”) who is seeing some great Billboard charting success with his new self-produced/mixed full-length album titled “Philosoulphy” which was created entirely in SONAR. The album is also currently the #1 most selling Smooth Jazz CD in the world on CDBABY.COM. Bobbi has an interesting SONAR story and is also a great example of the sign of the times in the modern day music industry.
For a long time, Bobbi was that guy behind the scenes; the guy that created, as well as put together great music for other major artists such as Tadros, Tenderoni and Leila. Exclusively using SONAR, he also found his way to mainstream song-placement success on shows such as General Hospital, All My Children, Beverly Hills 90210 and Soul Food. “After working on music behind the scenes for other people for so long, I sporadically made the decision to just put out my own record – Rise,” Bobbi told me on a recent phone
conversation. “I didn’t think it was going to get the attention that it got, and quite frankly I was a bit overwhelmed. I had meetings with Major Labels and knew immediately that the numbers they were throwing at me were not adding up, so I respectfully declined and thankfully made the trek on my path. It was pretty cool to see my name right up there on the charts with some of the biggest artists of today’s times knowing that I had put this project on target basically alone.”
Bobbi’s debut CD Rise came out in 2008 and instantly gained credible stature when radio stations picked up the single “Body Music” which ended up charting on Smooth Jazz radio. His new CD Philosoulphy which was also produced entirely in SONAR is currently #8 on the Smooth Jazz charts nationwide, and the first single “All Up In It” is #18 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart. Additionally, Philosoulphy achieved the #1 best selling Smooth Jazz CD worldwide on CDBABY.com and is also doing quite well on iTunes.
CW AR: You have accomplished quite a feat getting to this level on your own after turning down labels that wanted to sign your project. What is some advice you would offer to talented people who want to make it happen?
Bobbi Tammaro: Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. This means purchasing equipment like SONAR X1 and any other gear that will get you to the next level; lessons, promotions, hiring the right music producer, mixer/engineer, musicians, vocalists, etc. Do it right the first time so you can compete with anything on the radio in your genre. Don’t settle for a demo – there are no demos anymore if you want to get to the next level – everything should be a finished product with no excuses for elements such as a mediocre mix or production.
Also, know your strengths and weaknesses. For example: I can’t sing like a top-notch pro, but I can write, arrange harmony and produce hit songs as a pro, so I then hire and pay for great vocalists. If you are in check with yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses well, you will then have the ability to make the decisions to get your creations and musical visions to the next level.
Bobbi’s story here is living proof that with great songs, great production, hard work and dedication, it’s possible to get to the next creative level without the financial backing of a big label. Whether you are just starting out and choose SONAR X1 Essential, or you are a seasoned pro needing the power and functionality of the SONAR X1 Production Suite, Cakewalk software solutions have you covered.
Right now, buy SONAR X1 Production Suite and get the PC4K S-Type Channel Compressor ProChannel module free through June 30th.