D Leigh Biz

  So, here’s something you may not know, I’m a huge movie fan. So, for this week’s blog, I’m going to enlist some help, “from my little friends”, to discuss a very important topic for talent managers.

Remember this line from the movie Wall Street; “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good”?  Then came the collective gasp heard ‘round the world.  How could one of the 7 Deadly Sins be touted as a good thing?  That would be akin to saying disagreement is good.  And in today’s business world, even that statement might be seen as blasphemous, revolutionary, or even irrational.  But, contrary to popular belief, a disagreement simply means you have a different opinion, different beliefs, or even different facts.  Over the course of history, there have been many brave people who were willing to “disagree”.  In the words of Agent K from Men In Black, "1,500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody "knew" that the earth was flat.”  And who’s to say that everything we “know” today will hold true in the future.  Therefore, disagreeing has some merit.

Recently I watched a video on Ted.com by Margaret Heffernen, author of Willful Blindness.  Margaret’s career started in television production, and she eventually became the CEO of five businesses.  In her Ted.com video, she talks about the importance of allowing people to disagree and the benefits that can be derived from these debates.  She speaks of Dr. Alice Stewart, a pioneer in research regarding the effects of the X-ray machine when used on pregnant women.  Margaret also relates a story about an executive who was hesitant to speak up about an issue, and how his silence could have endangered patients.

 

I was very impressed with Margaret’s storytelling ability.  She didn’t use PowerPoint slides or videos, but was able to keep the audience engaged simply through telling a compelling, engaging story.  She also provided an interesting statistic in regards to people’s hesitancy to disagree. She states, “In surveys of European and American executives, fully 85 percent of them acknowledged that they had issues or concerns at work that they were afraid to raise.”  If executives feel this way, imagine what the statistic would be for those at lower levels in organizations.  Malcolm Gladwell discusses how culture can play a role in conflict avoidance and how the result can be tragic.  

This video inspired me to make sure my voice is heard in all situations.  Having the courage to stand up for my clients, and what is right, will be an important element of my brand. My final quote actually comes from the book that a movie was based on.  In, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, she states, “Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”  Words to live by.

As you begin working with your clients, one very important aspect of your role as an artist manager is to help them make good decisions related to promotions.  For new bands, a manager needs to help them navigate through a plethora of choices related to social media, promotional giveaways and branding.

In regards to social media, there are numerous sites available.  The key is to understand the value of this medium.  It’s not just for kids anymore; it has become a necessity in terms of reaching mass audiences.  Social media has revolutionized the way we seek, find and engage with others.  As you work with the band to determine which sites to use, an important thing to remember is that fans expect two-way communication via sites such as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.  Simply providing your gig dates won’t be enough to keep fans interested.  Be creative by uploading videos to your website and YouTube, providing frequent updates, and delivering postings that entice fans to visit your sites often.  For musicians, knowing how to use online resources to build a fan base can make the difference in being a local artist versus a national or international artist.

Promotional giveaways for musicians can include tee shirts, wristbands, posters, and even free music.  Fans appreciate these types of items and it supports your efforts to build a fan base.  In terms of music, you may consider uploading your artist’s tracks on sites that allow free downloads such as DatPiff.com. If your artist balks at the idea of giving away their work, refer them to this article related to the benefits of providing free music.  Another type of promotional giveaway is a media press kit. This kit will provide venue owners with information about the artist and a sample of their music.  I am currently working on a media press kit for the band I represent.  I have created a project timeline and the band has agreed to the contents.  Various band members have been assigned to complete tasks.  This ensures that everyone works together as a team and has some ownership in the final product.

Finally, it is important to assist in developing the artist’s brand.  They may lean toward the outrageous like Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj; or they may be more subdued such as Maxwell or Jill Scott.  As their manager, you should encourage them to be true to themselves.  Trying to maintain a persona that is not authentic can be taxing, and this energy should be used for their creative endeavors.  An artist shouldn’t feel hindered by their image.  Their brand should be a reflection of them and their music.  They should be confident in who they are and the talent they possess.  Your encouragement in these areas can help propel your artists to successful careers in the music industry.

As noted in the previous blog posting (September 8, 2012), there will inevitably be turnover in a band.  As you can imagine, the reasons are numerous.  Here are a few that you may encounter:

If you are a band member who is struggling with whether you should stay with a band, take a look at this article to help with that decision.  As with most things in life, be sure to think through the pros and cons, and don’t make these types of decisions when angry or highly emotional. 

On the other hand, you may be managing a band that needs to replace a member.  Knowing what to look for may reduce turnover in the future.  Your role is to help make sure this person is a good fit.  The candidate should audition for the band, and you should assist in the interview process.  Ask questions about their background, aspirations, availability, talents, etc.  You can also ask more targeted questions such as, “give an example of a difficult situation you encountered and how you handled it”.  It may be beneficial to use targeted selection interviewing in order to determine past behaviors, which can be predictors of future behavior.

The band I manage, Three Story Hill, recently added two new members.  The first addition was a new drummer to replace one that was not performing well (see #2 above).  The other new member is a vocalist.  We hope these changes will make a difference in the musical quality of the band as they prepare to record some tracks for an EP.  This EP will become an integral element of their press kit, along with video footage, a band biography and photos.  This will be a great marketing tool to introduce the band to venues.  In a future posting I will chronicle our efforts to complete this endeavor.