California King Music - Frequently Asked Questions

We Get Questions...
Q: What is this site all about? What are you selling?
A: I write and record very short instrumental pieces of music that are humorous nature. These are intended for use in radio, video, and film work, and also for personal enjoyment. Occaisionally, I put a band together and perform this music onstage.
Q: How did all of this come about? (the quick version, please!)
A: Back in the day, I wrote jingles and advertising music. I got used to writing stuff that was 30 or 60 seconds long. Most of the really cool stuff never made it into the finished project, so I put a band together to perform some of this stuff live. That's how Symon's New Blue Diamonds came to be created, and that's how I came to be recording and publishing all this music.
Q: What is the instrumentation like? How are the final tracks delivered?
A: Most of this stuff features a rock rhythm section and horn section. As a tenor player, that's the lineup I'm most comfortable working with. However, some of my earlier works were recorded using a small jazz orchestra I put together myself. These older recordings were originally made with analog tape multitrack equipment, and then later everything was converted to digital MP3 format.
Q: What about the pre-1993 vinyl LP releases that are listed as "out of print"?
A: Just like it says - these are very rare. I sold a bunch of them in Canada back in the eighties, but they are not popular enough to warrant another pressing or conversion into CD format. They may still be availble from vinyl collector's websites or on Amazon, you'll have to check.
Q: I'm an independent film maker and I like the sound of your music. I'm interested in possibly hiring you to write some music for my film. How does that process get started?
A: Go to the "Contact" tab at the top of the page and click on it. You'll see our contact info listed on that page. (normal response time is usually 24 hours or less)
Q: I'm in advertising, and I'd like to license some of you music for some commercials I'm making. How can I purchase limited licensing rights for rebroadcast?
A: Same as above - just go to the Contact page and get our email address. That's the best way to reach us.
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, WE DO NOT POST OUR PHONE NUMBERS ONLINE. Contact can only be initiated by using the information listed on the Contact page.
Q: I want to send you a MP3 file of this really cool song I wrote! How can I send this to you?
A: For legal liability reasons, we cannot accept submissions of unsolicited artwork or music in any format. If you end up working with us and we are collaborating, there will be plenty of time to work out suitable arrangements. If you have some music that you really want to share with me, just send me an email and request a meeting.
Q: What about other merchandise besides music?
A: If you've got money to spend, we'll certainly help you spend it! Just click here to be taken to our merchandise page. We update this occaisionally as we create new characters, or if we discover that the quality of all this crap is too crappy even for us...
Q: What if I have a problem with an order?
A: We do not stock any inventory, perform shipping, or track customer orders. We rely on our resellers for these tasks. If you're having a problem with an order you placed, the fastest way to get a resolution would be to contact the appropriate third-party reseller directly.
Q: Can I come work for you?
A: We only hire musicians, and only as work-for-hire. We generally begin auditions as a project nears stage two, or the "thickening" process when all music has been scored and we are ready to start test recordings using specific voicings. Open positions are rarely advertised because we normally just put out casting calls for specific horns or other instruments, or we work directly with contractors we have known for years. However, we do love meeting fresh new talent! Please use the Contact tab at the top of the page if you're interested in possbily auditioning for us. If you have representation, have your agent contact us first so that we can perform the usual clearance checks. WARNING! All of my music is legally copyrighted and on file at the U.S. Library of Congress. I have chosen not to participate in "Creative Commons" licensing in any form. All rights to my material are fully protected by US and international copyright law. Licensing is handled through Broadcast Music International (BMI).