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Hapi Skratch: Scratching their way to the top |
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Written by Maura Brady McMullen
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Thursday, 31 May 2007 |
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 Sometimes, survival is the ultimate story of success in the business world — especially in the rough-and-tumble music business.
With 12 years and counting under his belt, Hapi Skratch founder Morris Beegle has much to be proud of.
“My biggest success would be not throwing in the towel yet because I know Hapi Skratch has a lot more to offer in the future,” Beegle said.
Beegle’s Loveland-based company celebrated a dozen years in business in April, and that in and of itself is a major milestone for a small, local company.
Hapi Skratch is a “one-stop” shop for all the necessary elements needed to record, produce, package, distribute and market independent music. Additionally, Beegle has created four labels with Hapi Skratch as the parent company: Big Bender Records, Fist Music, Avant Acoustic and the newest member of the Skratch family, Genesis, a faith-based music label.
“Nobody really has the whole one-stop shop thing going on like Hapi Skratch. I’ve tried hard to position Hapi Skratch in a unique situation so I can partner with other businesses rather than directly compete. I’d rather have partnerships than competitors,” Beegle said. And Beegle wants it known he isn’t doing this alone. Without help from Brad Babcock, Ben Wright, Bryan Rayburn and Chris Harris, Hapi Skratch wouldn’t be on top of its music game, as it is right now.
A 1985 Loveland High graduate, Beegle went to the Music Business Institute in Atlanta and then worked for The Handleman Company before coming back to his hometown to start Hapi Skratch in 1995.
The last 12 years have proven it takes a lot of mettle to make a name for oneself in a cutthroat industry that is known to dash the hopes of many fledgling artists.
The secret to survival?
“It’s persistence, not giving up, not bullshitting my customers into false promises and expectations,” Beegle said. “I’ve also been consistent with the quality of work I deliver and the reliability in getting it done. If there’re problems — and there always are problems — I will get them worked out in the end so everyone is satisfied.”
Beegle said Hapi Skratch isn’t trying to compete with big labels, rather it’s trying to “help the independent artist put out the best product they can.”
The advent of the Internet has, in Beegle’s opinion, given people so many choices and has made it possible for even the local high school band to have a piece of the music-world pie, he said.
“The pie gets spread pretty thin right now because there is so much stuff out there — it’s hard for big labels to sell as many albums anymore,” Beegle said.
And while smaller labels like Hapi Skratch can step in and take a slice of the music industry pie, because the opportunity to find new music seems so easy, it makes Beegle’s job all that much harder. One of his biggest struggles is to get the public to pay attention to his new, emerging artists.
“People are hit with so much stuff today,” Beegle said. “It’s sensory overload. There are more choices than any of us can go through.”
The best piece of advice Beegle has for people looking to get into the music and entertainment industry is to be passionate about it.
“It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna rock ’n’ roll — meaning it’s tough and things do not generally happen very quickly,” Beegle said. “Don’t get in the business for the money because it’s not there. Get in the business because you love music and it’s your passion. If you want to do music for the money, you will be gravely disappointed at the end of the day.”
So what is it about this business that keeps Beegle coming back day after day?
“I’m a glutton for punishment,” he said. “Plain and simple.’’
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS
One Hapi Skratch production getting buzz is the Coors Light New Sound Throwdown happening at the Yukon, 5400 N. Garfield Ave. in Loveland every Wednesday. It’s a battle of the bands where the winner will get a chance to play Red Rocks. The preminlinary rounds wrapped up May 30, with the semifinals June 6 and 13, and the finals on June 23.
• • • • •
LISTEN
For an earful, check out Hapi Skratch’s page, www.myspace.com/hapiskratch and from there you can listen to its artists and find upcoming events.
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