# Artist name as a film composer.



## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

As a music producer I'm known as *T.A.V* and my real name is *Tavleen Singh*. I'm heading towards feature film scores as my primary genre. So should I start using my real name or stick with my current (relatively famous) stage name?

Seems like using full name is the norm in film industry. Junkie XL used to make me feel okay about it but seeng him changing gears and using his real name in latest works puts me in a little confusion.

PS: There is already a famous celebrity (Journalist) with the name of Tavleen Singh in my country, if that changes anything.


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## Rodney Money (Nov 11, 2015)

I try to go by Rodney Money but people keep calling me "Money," lol.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Nov 11, 2015)

You could pick an artist name that sounds like a "real" name. Like "Rodney Money", for example.  Actors do that all the time. Like Michael Keaton. His real name is Michael Douglas ...


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## synthetic (Nov 11, 2015)

I've heard that Angelo Badalamenti was born Andy Badelli.


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## JohnG (Nov 11, 2015)

use your stage name. It's cool and people are looking for a sound right now, not really composition. If you are known for your sound, stay with that.

I'm thinking of switching to "Buddy Bo-Bob 'Britches' Beauville." Based on extensive research.


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## Rodney Money (Nov 11, 2015)

JohnG said:


> use your stage name. It's cool and people are looking for a sound right now, not really composition. If you are known for your sound, stay with that.
> 
> I'm thinking of switching to "Buddy Bo-Bob 'Britches' Beauville." Based on extensive research.


You could be B to the 5th Power! B5


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## gsilbers (Nov 11, 2015)

TAV... it doesnt matter. You can let the director/producers know and you may request things like having your artist name with a specific font or someting. I doubt that they will budge but you never know and it might work for promoting yourself. 
the only thing that matters is that in the cue sheet has the name that royalties will be paid to. so make sure your PRO and PRO affiliates have your name and/or artist name. make it clear as poeple might assume one thing and then issues happen.


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## charlieclouser (Nov 11, 2015)

Personally, I think alter egos and stage names are a little juvenile - maybe that's why JXL is starting to go by his given name these days. That said, I think a fairly exotic-sounding name doesn't hurt. Marco, Lorne, Heitor, Hans.... you get what I'm saying? If I were you I'd go by your full given name, or to avoid being mixed up with the journalist you mentioned, perhaps Tav Singh or something like that. But an "artist name" that would work on the bill of a big EDM music festival is, I think, not really right for the "grown up" world of film composing.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Nov 11, 2015)

Then again, perhaps the world of film composing is a little too grown up. I mean look at the guys - the wear suit jackets and stuff. Who the heck does that. Other than your grandpa, that is.


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

Rodney Money said:


> I try to go by Rodney Money but people keep calling me "Money," lol.



People choose to call you what they feel is convenient or sounds good. 

T.A.V is also part of my full name (first 3 letters), although I tell everybody that its _Tee Aay Vee_ but many prefer _Tav_ (rhymes with have)


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

Jimmy Hellfire said:


> You could pick an artist name that sounds like a "real" name. Like "Rodney Money", for example.  Actors do that all the time. Like Michael Keaton. His real name is Michael Douglas ...



Sounds exciting, but I thing going for a third name could be a little difficult for me at this position. Around 10-15K fans on the social profiles, website, etc. Changing names on some of these could be difficult...or not?

Is it a good idea to start from scratch? (I personally don't mind as I'm not attached to "the fan figures")


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

synthetic said:


> I've heard that Angelo Badalamenti was born Andy Badelli.



Ohh, so he improvised his name to to choose exotic over simple...


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

JohnG said:


> It's cool and people are looking for a sound right now, not really composition.



I resonate with that, this actually changes the focus while composing. Thanks


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

gsilbers said:


> TAV... it doesnt matter. You can let the director/producers know and you may request things like having your artist name with a specific font or someting. I doubt that they will budge but you never know and it might work for promoting yourself.
> the only thing that matters is that in the cue sheet has the name that royalties will be paid to. so make sure your PRO and PRO affiliates have your name and/or artist name. make it clear as poeple might assume one thing and then issues happen.



Yup, I get it.

I may sound like a fool, but I have no idea what PRO & PRO affiliates are, is it Public Relations Officer?
If yes then I'm afraid I don't feel I'm big enough to need them yet, maybe in future or is it a good idea to go for it early?


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## tav.one (Nov 11, 2015)

charlieclouser said:


> Personally, I think alter egos and stage names are a little juvenile - maybe that's why JXL is starting to go by his given name these days. That said, I think a fairly exotic-sounding name doesn't hurt. Marco, Lorne, Heitor, Hans.... you get what I'm saying? If I were you I'd go by your full given name, or to avoid being mixed up with the journalist you mentioned, perhaps Tav Singh or something like that. But an "artist name" that would work on the bill of a big EDM music festival is, I think, not really right for the "grown up" world of film composing.



This feeling is exactly what I had in my mind while I posted.




Jimmy Hellfire said:


> Then again, perhaps the world of film composing is a little too grown up. I mean look at the guys - the wear suit jackets and stuff. Who the heck does that. Other than your grandpa, that is.



And this was the main defence for stage name.

PS: I just realised I could have replied to everyone in 1 post


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## Katzenjammer (Nov 12, 2015)

itstav said:


> Yup, I get it.
> 
> I may sound like a fool, but I have no idea what PRO & PRO affiliates are, is it Public Relations Officer?
> If yes then I'm afraid I don't feel I'm big enough to need them yet, maybe in future or is it a good idea to go for it early?


PRO = Performance Rights Organisation. For example ASCAP.


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## gsilbers (Nov 12, 2015)

Katzenjammer said:


> PRO = Performance Rights Organisation. For example ASCAP.


yes. they are in charge of collecting royalties payments for you around the world. if your movie gets acquired internationally and broadcasted then you get payments.


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## jacobthestupendous (Nov 12, 2015)

ASCAP and BMI are the big PRO's in the United States. If you're in India, then according to wikipedia, you should look into http://www.iprs.org/cms/ (The Indian Performing Right Society Limited) or http://www.pplindia.org/licctg.aspx (Phonographic Performance Limited). The reasons you would choose on PRO over another are various, and you can find many threads about it on VI-C, but most of them will concern American and European ones.


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## jacobthestupendous (Nov 12, 2015)

itstav said:


> This feeling is exactly what I had in my mind while I posted.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is also worth considering what sorts of films you will be composing for. I know little about the Indian film scene other than Bollywood (and I know _very little_ about that, so please forgive me if this is overly reductive or culturally insensitive), which often involves elaborate EDM sequences . These are elements which might be considered "not-grown-up-enough" for a typical Hollywood production but which are culturally embraced in India. My point is, you might be asking the wrong folks. You should check out the credits of the sorts of movies you want to work on, and if the composers are stage names of EDM performers, then you're probably in the clear to be T.A.V. 

Again, as a disclaimer, I don't know much of anything at all, so please forgive me if any of this is off base or offensive.


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## tav.one (Nov 12, 2015)

Katzenjammer said:


> PRO = Performance Rights Organisation. For example ASCAP.





jacobthestupendous said:


> ASCAP and BMI are the big PRO's in the United States. If you're in India, then according to wikipedia, you should look into http://www.iprs.org/cms/ (The Indian Performing Right Society Limited) or http://www.pplindia.org/licctg.aspx (Phonographic Performance Limited). The reasons you would choose on PRO over another are various, and you can find many threads about it on VI-C, but most of them will concern American and European ones.



Thanks guys, I do know about them but never did a serious research on them. I wonder if I'm working for some Indian and mostly American movies then do I need to sign-up with multiple PROs?



jacobthestupendous said:


> It is also worth considering what sorts of films you will be composing for. I know little about the Indian film scene other than Bollywood (and I know _very little_ about that, so please forgive me if this is overly reductive or culturally insensitive), which often involves elaborate EDM sequences . These are elements which might be considered "not-grown-up-enough" for a typical Hollywood production but which are culturally embraced in India. My point is, you might be asking the wrong folks. You should check out the credits of the sorts of movies you want to work on, and if the composers are stage names of EDM performers, then you're probably in the clear to be T.A.V.
> 
> Again, as a disclaimer, I don't know much of anything at all, so please forgive me if any of this is off base or offensive.



Thanks for your reply jacob, first of all I'm not an EDM producer at all...I don't know from where this idea came..LOL

My style can be described as Orchestral-New Age-Hip Hop-Fusion, and thats what I've been doing till now.
What I'm heading towards is what inspired me to become a musician in the first place: totally hollywood style film scores with a little ethnic Indian flavour on it (the only reason I feel I was born in India instead of America or Europe was to add that tiny Indian/Punjab flavour in my otherwise western film scores).
I don't do typical bollywood styles, nor do I have any interest or plans to go that route, unless they need hollywood score.

I'm working hard to become someone in between of A.R.Rahman & Hans Zimmer (with more inclination towards Hans).

I think this gives a more clear idea.


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## jmvideo (Nov 12, 2015)

JohnG said:


> I'm thinking of switching to "Buddy Bo-Bob 'Britches' Beauville." Based on extensive research.



LMAO! That's got a nice ring to it.

I simply can't go by my real name because it's way too vanilla and generic. In every U.S town there are probably about 50 people with my same name. On the web there are about 20 working musicians with my same name.

Names a tricky thing these days. Chances are, any band name or artist name you come up with has already been taken, or hijacked by some teenager on SoundCloud.


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## jacobthestupendous (Nov 12, 2015)

itstav said:


> first of all I'm not an EDM producer at all...I don't know from where this idea came..LOL


Thus my disclaimer about my level of knowledge (and my level of ignorance) proves relevant. 

The idea came from ignorant guesses about what style you might be involved in since your popup info when I hover my mouse over your picture seems to show Ludhiana, India as a location. I didn't do a good enough job of saying "IF you were involved in that scene..." Sorry about that.


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## jacobthestupendous (Nov 12, 2015)

On an unrelated note, your website looks great!


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## tav.one (Nov 12, 2015)

jmvideo said:


> Names a tricky thing these days. Chances are, any band name or artist name you come up with has already been taken, or hijacked by some teenager on SoundCloud.



That is true man, we conduct a mini ritual event thing when we have to think of a new artist name, studio name or company name. We invite all artists for dinner and think of ideas then check availability of each on social media, sometimes two suggestions are blended to create something new, its fun but really difficult.



jacobthestupendous said:


> Thus my disclaimer about my level of knowledge (and my level of ignorance) proves relevant.
> 
> The idea came from ignorant guesses about what style you might be involved in since your popup info when I hover my mouse over your picture seems to show Ludhiana, India as a location. I didn't do a good enough job of saying "IF you were involved in that scene..." Sorry about that.



Don't say sorry brother, almost all composers/producers/singers from my city fit the bill exactly as you described, I'm considered the misfit here. so I'd say you did a pretty good guess job.



jacobthestupendous said:


> On an unrelated note, your website looks great!



Ohh thanks, having a computer science engineering degree does help


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Nov 12, 2015)

If I used my real name (James Johnson), I probably would never get any work.


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## tav.one (Nov 12, 2015)

I came up with an idea of keeping my First name as *Tav* and making up or looking for an exotic sounding last name. There would be no need for rebranding this way.

I'm looking for last names and searching for the best so any suggestions would be awesome 

I also thought of an interesting idea for last name: *Tav Léin*
This sounds like my real name, but not sure if it sounds appropriate though (what does it feel like to you all?)

Maybe I could go for a 3 word name with initials as *T. A. V.* and the first word being *T*av (Recursive acronym, I feel so geeky right now)

I really value your honest feedback so I'm looking forward to your suggestions. This would be a life long thing so just want it to be totally worth the effort of name change.


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## chillbot (Nov 12, 2015)

TAV HAV DA GROOVE™


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## chibear (Nov 13, 2015)

Good old Clyde Lindman was/is the name of my avatar in Second Life and a couple of other virtual worlds and he gradually evolved into my general on-line identity. Ironically Clyde produces more hits in google than my real name with a 40+ year career in performing/recording.

Several of my friends from the orchestra I retired from suggested I might want to, at least at the beginning, submit under a different name so as to separate grumpy old horn player from emerging composer, so judgement of the latter is not effected by the reputation (both positive and negative) of the former. Therefore, Clyde is officially registered with the AF of M as my stage name.

I told my grandson who is also my executor that when I die he has to have 2 funerals: one for me and one for Clyde. He's a psychiatric nurse so that probably produced some interesting coffee conversations at work.


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