Songwriter Helps Aspirants Tune Their Careers

During the day, Greg Baum is vice president of a Kansas City stock brokerage. But after he and his wife Karen put their three young sons to bed, the Baums retreat to their home music studio to pursue their dream of being hit songwriters.

“We do it every spare moment we have,” Greg Baum said. “It’s truly our love.”

But how can a couple from Overland, Kan., break into today’s cutthroat music business?

The Baums and dozens of other aspiring songwriters across the country turn to Santa Monica songwriting consultant Molly-Ann Leikin, who has turned her personal talent into an unusual small business.

“Almost any kind of artist, a painter or a vocal coach, can create a business like this,” said Leikin, who recently received a platinum record for a song she wrote that was recorded by Placido Domingo.

Leikin’s life has not always been filled with platinum and gold records. A former Los Angeles County social worker, Leikin started her business out of desperation in the early 1980s.

“The bottom fell out of my life when singer-songwriters were all publishers wanted,” recalled Leikin, a diminutive redhead from Ottawa, Canada. “I had an Emmy nomination and had written themes for 25 movies and television shows, but there was no work for me because I couldn’t sing.”

For a year, Leikin suffered through a deep depression. She lived on her savings and cases of diet Tab soda. When the money was running out, she finally sought help from a career counselor. The counselor advised her to get back into the music business but to take a different approach and set up a consulting firm.

‘Afraid of Being Sued’

It made sense because Leikin had frequently critiqued songs for friends and colleagues at no charge. She also knew that aspiring songwriters had very few avenues for their songs because the music business was virtually closed to newcomers.

“Songwriters cannot get their songs heard because publishers are afraid of being sued” because they might be accused of stealing a song that arrives unsolicited, Leikin said. Agents are reluctant to represent unknown writers. And, Leikin said, few songwriters can afford to hire entertainment attorneys to send their songs around to publishers.

So, Leikin took a deep breath and hung out her shingle as a songwriting consultant. She not only critiques the melodies and lyrics but also advises clients on what publishers to approach and how to reach the right singers for their songs. Very quickly, she gained a reputation as the “Dr. Ruth of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

Like other doctors, Leikin’s services are not cheap. She charges $125 for the first consultation, which includes a detailed critique of five or six taped songs. Follow-up sessions are $95. She also offers a package deal of eight sessions for $650.

“I help songwriters make sure they have a complete script for a record,” said Leikin, whose songs have been recorded by Anne Murray, Cher, Karen Carpenter and others.

Among her current clients are a doctor, an attorney, an advertising executive, a caterer and an accountant.

“I hear the songs my clients are writing and I get goose bumps,” said Leikin, who credits Bob Dylan with inspiring her to be a professional songwriter. “Still, I feel my job is to tell my clients the truth.”

Chris Curtis, who performs Wednesdays through Saturdays at the Smoke House in Burbank, said Leikin’s help gives him confidence in his songwriting.

“When I was blocked, she unblocked me,” Curtis said. “She has a good perspective on what kind of songs will be picked up in the marketplace.”

When Leikin is not writing her own songs or consulting with others, she is working on a full-length “musical fantasy adventure” with a local producer. She has also written two books, including “How to Write a Hit Song,” being published in late September by the Milwaukee-based Hal Leonard Publishing Co.

Leikin, who usually consults with three clients a day, says all her clients are passionate about one day hearing their songs on the radio.

It’s easy to understand their motivation. She says a hit song can earn its writer and publisher $100,000 a year in royalties--every year for the rest of their lives.

Many Businesses to Be Sold in ‘90, Study Says

1990 will be the year of the seller, with about 35,000 businesses of all sizes expected to change hands, according to David R. Hoods, president of Geneva Marketing Services Inc., a division of Geneva Cos. in Irvine.

Geneva’s marketing studies show that about half of the clients that it represents are selling their businesses because they are bored or burned out. “They have lost their risk-taking ability,” Hoods said. “And many have become the bottleneck to the growth of their company.”

Selling may be a good idea, especially since foreign investors, who are fearful that the U.S. may someday restrict foreign ownership, are anxious to buy now. “Foreigners represent 20% of the middle-market company buyers,” Hoods said.

Corporate Financing Week recently ranked Geneva No. 1 in transactions for the first half of 1989. It completed 37 transactions, compared to 15 by Bear, Stearns & co. and 13 by Drexel Burnham Lambert.

HOW TO HIT THE HIGH NOTES

Santa Monica songwriting consultant Molly-Ann Leikin offers the following advice to creative people who want to turn their talent into a small business:

Be sure that what you are offering is original.

Don’t let anybody tell you “you can’t make a living doing that.”

Do the best job you can for your clients.

Always get paid in advance for your consulting services.

Accept Visa and MasterCard to help your clients pay for your advice.

Be very firm about cancellations and charge for missed sessions if clients do not give you 48 hours’ notice.

Insist that clients arrive on time for their appointments because you are training them to be professionals.

Don’t give free advice once you decide to charge for your expertise.

Keep an up-to-date computerized mailing list of contacts and clients. Periodically send out post cards to remind them of the services you offer.