The journey of going back to school and making the decision
to dive whole-heartedly into an industry that I have been in love with for as
long as I can remember has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my
life. When I looked at the name of this month’s class “Product and Artist
Management,” I knew that it would be very interesting. I did not expect it to
be my favorite class so far in the program. I can honestly say that I have
learned something significant from each guest speaker in our class. Here are three of the major lessons I’ve
learned from our guest speakers:
1.
Stephanie Christie is a Public Relations expert that taught me the importance of
cohesiveness within all promotional materials for an artist. In short, the
music has to match the visuals and vice versa. I’m hoping to work in artist
development and potentially in management as well so this lesson was huge for
me. I will make sure that any artist I work with has an outward appearance that
matches the music they create.
2.
Craig Hayes taught me the importance of
professionalism and working your way up in the industry. He told the story of
how he interned at LaFace Records after graduation. He had to do some of the
dirty work that a lot of people aren’t willing to do. However, because he did
it without complaints, he was able to build relationships with important people
and eventually begin producing for some major artists. I am no stranger to hard
work and I think this lesson helps me not be afraid to take on small tasks and
even do some things for free when the bigger picture is of significant value.
3.
Samuel Allen taught me the importance of
creating a culture when thinking about successful marketing. Sam’s presentation
really made me think of expanding the scope of what my company can do. Not only
can we help with the development of an artist, but we may be able to be a part
of the creation of their marketing as well. Creating a culture, something the
target market can get behind emotionally is a great lesson.
