MANAGERS PANEL -
EXCITING TIMES IN THE
MUSIC BUSINESS
“You guys came to learn
...” were the first words spoken to the crowd at the Managers Panel, convened as part of the
Music Summit line-up during
Canadian Music Week 2014. With that, an extensive
Question & Answer session ensued with 8 respected Managers and
Label execs from the Music
Business worldwide.
The Panel provided wisdom answering a plethora of questions: What are Managers
Looking for? (
Charisma.
It’s about an emotional connection when you meet). How do you handle an obstinate
Artist? (As a Manager… don’t.
Walk away). How can an
Independent Artist find the right Manager? (Hone your craft.
Look at like-minded artists, see who they surround themselves with). Are you willing to invest in an Artist’s career? (
I’ve never met an Artist with money, so I’ve always had to). How should an Artist submit their music? (
Research who you’re approaching).
There were gems aplenty in this diamond mine of information, quotes such as: “When you get up to 18 hours a day [as a manager], you’re doing it right.” “Be a ruthless cold caller.” “Crowd Funding creates fan engagement.” The session closed with one last instruction: “
Delete your ego, follow your intuition”.
Appearing on the Panel:
MODERATOR:
Brian Hetherman: A true music industry renaissance man. Two decades plus in the Biz, his vast resume and diverse talents define his standing as a true visionary in the
Canadian music landscape. Among accomplishments too numerous to mention, he has created
Curve Music and
Cerberus Management and Consulting, working such Artists as
Holly McNarland,
Wide Mouth Mason,
Andy Stochansky, and The
Dunes. Brian
Moderates the Panel.
PANELISTS:
Nick Blasko: Co-founder and current
Managing Director of
Amelia Artists
Inc., whose clients include
Tegan and Sara and
Buck 65 (
Richard Terfry), both signed to
Warner Brothers Records, along with newcomers
Gold & Youth and
Flash Lightnin'.
Benjy Grinberg: Founder and
President of
Rostrum Records, a Pittsburgh-based independent label and management company with a diverse roster including
Grammy Award nominee
Wiz Khalifa,
Leon Thomas,
Vali,
Mac Miller,
Donora,
Boaz and Teammate. He is also one of
Billboard Magazine's "40 Under 40" and
Source Magazine's "
Power 30."
Volker May: Volker has been responsible for booking and organizing more than 3.
000 live shows throughout
Europe,
Asia and
America. He is a managing partner of Energie Publishing and Energie
Concert GmbH; for nearly a decade he was the representative and exclusive booker for
Die Fantastischen Vier, one of
Germany´s first and most successful
German Hip Hop acts, collecting several
Platinum and
Gold awards.
Terry McBride:
Current CEO and one of three founders of the
Nettwerk Music Group, which includes
Canada’s largest independent record label, an artist and producer management firm, publishing. graphic and fashion design ventures. Founded in McBride's apartment in
1984, Nettwerk has corporate offices in
Vancouver,
Boston,
Los Angeles,
New York,
Hamburg and
London. Nettwerk’s roster includes renowned artists like
Avril Lavigne,
Coldplay and
Sarah McLachlan.
Gilles Paquin: President and CEO of the Paquin
Entertainment Group; personally manages legendary icons
Randy Bachman,
Buffy Sainte-Marie and
Bachman & Turner, as well as critically acclaimed singer- songwriter
Del Barber.
Gilles supports, oversees and directs each artist’s creative ventures, recently including the production of Randy Bachman’s television special,
Vinyl Tap: Every
Song Tells a
Story, and a bio-documentary for Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Chris Smith:
Chris launched his management company with the award winning pop group
The Philosopher Kings and
Canadian soul and r&b; legend
Jacksoul. He’s also the visionary behind some of the entertainment industries biggest names of the past decade, including
Nelly Furtado,
Fefe Dobson,
Kat Dahlia and
Tamia to name just a few.
Ryhna
Thompson: An entrepreneur, artist manager and producer who has been working in the cultural and creative industries for 15 years. Under the banner of her company
Envision Management &
Production, she has worked with internationally acclaimed, award-winning artists such as
Kid Koala,
Amon Tobin and
Bell Orchestre among others.
- published: 25 Jul 2014
- views: 1274