Artists Management/ Industry Events

Being that I am a vocal artist and a graduate student as well, I have been faced with every aspect of artist management, because I have to manage school and myself as an artist.  I have been faced with planning budgeting, and execution as an independent artist. During the time of rest between the scheduling of show events, I am constantly writing music for the actual song that I am performing. I have a budget in which I have to control that aids in financial assistance for my wardrobe attire, costs of registry itself, and tickets for promotion of my events. I am still currently learning new approaches to the music entertainment business by pursuing a degree in my field of expertise.
I am now a promoter for Chakra Ultralounge in Orlando, Fl. I noticed that promotion is the most important part of the entertaiment business.There are times when I find out that a show is cancelled or held over because not enough promotion was done for the event itself. Countless situations have occurred considering financial costs, and not being able to meet the budget. For example, I have $200.00 for my budget cost and I have to pay $150.00 for registry of the show. The registry costs include 30 tickets. For, instance if tickets are priced at $5 dollars each and I only sell 20 of 30 tickets, I only made $100.00 in profit, which means I end up only paying $50.00 for the total cost of the event. If I had a budget of $400.00 or more per show or event, I would have a more secure financial budget to work with for extra costs of events and promotions. 

During the promotion of events, I have found that social networking is the easiest and cheapest way of promoting yourself and sending out invites for my own performance events. Free promotional assistance with the planning and implementation of events really cuts down the financial budgeting because promotion is considered to be inclusive in the event of planning to perform at local shows here in Orlando, Florida. Alex Braggs is a really good friend of mines who is an entertainment business entrepreneur /artists developer out of Orlando, Florida. He gives great advice and is very helpful with the promotion of my events as an independent artist. If you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur of business entertainment or you can use help with some promotional services contact Nicole McFadden at (708)-595-7446.

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Interview with Artist Manager Mr. Calvin Atchison of Quantum to Virtual Media Group

In the music entertainment industry today, artist’s managers play an important role in securing the artists with an established career. Considering the fact that I am a recording artist, this interview was very important to me. I conducted a phone interview with Calvin O. Atchison II, of Quantum to Virtual Multimedia Group in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Atchison has directed the music careers of several artists since the early 1990’s. He has over 20 years experience in artists management, publishing licensing and tour management. I asked him several questions regarding to the role he plays as an Artist Manager in the music industry.  I used a question/ answer format to conduct the interview with Mr. Atchison.

1) Question: What things should an artist that you consider to be serious about attracting management bring to the table? Answer: First of all, I’d like to see the artist history including past performances, television appearances, pending recording/licensing deals if any. I would also expect the artists to have built a fan base for themselves, and to be clear about the type of goals they want to accomplish as artists.

2) Question: Has your job as an artist manager changed over the last few years, or is it somewhat the same? Answer: I think that the field of artist management has quite the same approaches, however providing the right music for commercial gain has become more difficult. The same artists are going for the same record deals, and the same audience, which causes the level of financial support, and support from target audiences to decrease.

3) Question: What do you think is the most important aspect of being an artist manager? Answer: I think overall that the relationship you have with your artist is the most important aspect because it can determine rather an artists will become successful or fail because of a bad relationship, consisting of dishonesty, miscommunication, and a lack of respect that exist realistically today between some artists and artist managers.

4) Question: What role do you play as an artist manager? Answer: As an artist manager I am the person who believes in the vision, goals and expectations of the artists and work to the best of ability to help the artist achieve those goals. I spend a lot of time negotiating with several artists about their goals, future publishing deals, licensing requests, and dealing with the legal matters by appointing a lawyer who specializes in entertainment law. I am also responsible for developing a master plan that an artist can follow to achieve their goals.

5) Question: What are some good qualities that you expect to see in future artists? Answer: I expect an artist to be a hard worker and stay committed to their craft. I also expect them to have a general knowledge about the entertainment industry, and a sense of long-term goals that they would like to achieve as an artist.

6) Question: Do you think it is important as an artist to have a manager for representation? Answer: It is impossible for an artist to conduct every affair of being an artist without a manager in the music business. Many artists are not business-oriented people, so they tend to fall victim to the music industry without the right representation. The manager is the key in determining the artist career.

7) Question: What should an artist look for in a manager before hiring them? Answer: Artists should consider hiring a manager once they have found out the background history of success or failure. This person must be someone who can guide, counsel, and advises and provides a successful career. This individual must also be a “doer” who helps you to take all of the steps necessary to help you become a success.

8) Question: What is the one of the most important value of an artist manager? Answer: A manager must be hardworking because they making the dreams of someone else who they believe in come true. They must give the artist the guidance they need to set the overall game plan for the artist and the artist’s team to follow. 

9) Question: What are some of the ground rules that you follow when managing an artist? Answer: A manger has to totally respect what the artist wants to do. A manager should be able to buy into the artists visions and do the best that they can to help him maximize that vision. My job is not to create and an artist, my job is to take an artist and make his or her career happen. 

10) Question: What is the hardest thing about being an artist’s manager? Answer: The hardest thing about being an artist manager is delivering the bad news to an artist concerning their overall career. 

Interview with Mr. Calvin Atchison of Quantum to Virtual Media Group

In the entertainment business world of today, there are a lot of business negotiations that take place. Often time’s negotiations turn out to be the worst ever. However, a business professional has several tactics that separates them from becoming bad business negotiators. I conducted a phone interview with Mr. Calvin O. Atchison II, of Quantum to Virtual Multimedia Group in Nashville, Tennessee. I posed several questions to him regarding how he handles negotiations within the multimedia entertainment.  I used a question/ answer format to conduct the interview with Mr. Atchison.

Question: During previous negotiations within your company, how did you separate the people from the problem associated within a negotiation.

Answer from Mr. Atchison: During negotiations, I focus on dealing with the problem first, because the problem is the most important. If you don’t deal with the problem, how can you ever deal with the person? People are easiest to deal with, while the problems are the hardest to deal with. Consider dealing with the problem first and the person thereafter. There is always a way to deal with a problem, but there is not always a way to deal with the people.

Question: While conducting a negotiation, how do you deal with another negotiator who tries to use dirty tactics?

Answer from Mr. Atchison: I’m 41 years old and I’ve had my share of dirty tactics thrown my way. However, I have learned how to walk away from negotiations that are dirty tactic bound. When I was about 23 years old a record company offered my rap group a record deal, but they wanted to take creative control over my group and offered us limited royalties and no rights to our music. I had a brief talk with my group, and we decided not to take the deal because the company was using dirty tactics to swing the negotiation in their favor. We as a group tried to negotiate the deal, but the company basically threw monkey wrenches every time. We decided to look into the offers of other record companies and walked away from that particular negotiation all together.

Question: Do you think of mutual benefits of both parties during a negotiation?

Answer from Mr. Atchison: I feel that a mutual agreement is always the best route during a negotiation. There has to be a mutual agreement that appeals to both parties, so that the interest of both parties will be for filled. Learn about the company by doing research, and see exactly what you can bring to the table as an individual.

Question: How do you deal with negative emotions during a negotiation?

Answer from Mr. Atchison: I often play into the emotions of other’s if it’s positive emotion. I don’t look to far into negative emotions, I just smile and hope that person knows that my emotions don’t control me; I control my emotions in negotiations.

Question: What role do you play in your business negotiations?

Answer from Mr. Atchison: Very often I play the role of the person who is trying to work the negotiation out for the best of my company without compromising integrity of the other negotiator. People have ways of playing their role in a negotiation, they often times just don’t know the role to play. For example, an artist of today in the music business tends to be more educated about the music business because they have been schooled on the roles they should and shouldn’t play as an artist. On the other hand, back in the days when I was trying to pursue a recording contract, I didn’t have secondary sources to aid in helping to establish my role-play as a rapper. In today’s world people have been educated on how to play their roles so often times their roles don’t get played.

Question: How would you use what is called a BATNA in a negotiation?

Answer from Mr. Atchison: Just simply have a back up plan within the negotiation just in case one offer is denied, you’ll have a plan B offer to negotiate with. Know what you are dealing with before the negotiation and always consider the best interest of both parties at hand. As long as you have a back up plan, you are considered to have another shot at the deal within the negotiation that fits your best interest. Always position yourself with leverage. Consider using one of my all time favorite quotes,” Let me take sometime to think about it.” That always opens a door on the other end of the deal that won’t often close.

http://www.negotiations.com/articles/best-alternative/

Danielle Belton's "The Black Snob" website and new exciting information about "Willow Smith," Daughter of Super Stars Will & Jada Smith getting signed to a record deal by Hip-Hop Superstar Jay-Z to "Roc Nation"

The website of interest that sparked my flame in Entertainment’s current news is Danielle Belton’s, “The Black Snob.” Danielle Belton is a freelance journalist and social media consultant who made a huge contribution to Essence Magazine Online, Mediate.com, The American Prospect, Seven Magazines, and FreshXpress.com. She has also appeared on a panel during Howard University’s School of Communication Job Fair in 2009.

Danielle Belton’s Blog Site, “The Black Snob” is a very informative website that consists of informational journals and hot topics about African American Celebrity news and culture. Belton currently lives in Washington, D.C where she manages "The Black Snob". The site has a readership spanning political junkies, authors, legislators and fellow bloggers just to name a few.

The Black Snob received accolades from the Black Weblog Awards for Best Political Blog (2010), Best writing in a Blog (2008 and 2009) and Best Blog Series (2008). Danielle Belton has also won a “Shining Stars Award” in 2008 for Best Overall Political Blog and Best New Political Blog. The most current blog that caught my attention was about Will & Jada Smith’s daughter Willow Smith. At the tender age 9 years old, Willow Smith has managed to get a Record Deal off of her hit single “Whip My Hair.”
Hip-Hop superstar Jay-Z stated that, “I believe in big records and superstars and I think she has both.” Having a brilliant singing talent, ultimate swagger and being the daughter of two super stars has put young Willow Smith’s life in prospective with a Record Deal from Jay-Z’s “Roc Nation.”

 Along with her older brother Jayden Smith who plays an inspiring role in his recent film, “Karate Kid” Willow Smith has set the pace for new upcoming singing artists in the Music Entertainment Industry of today. Willow Smith began her career as the daughter of one of Holly Woods best, Will Smith in the hit film, “I am Legend.” I must say that Willow Smith has established her career in the Music Entertainment Business as the new superstar singing sensation. If you want to find out more information about Willow Smith and Danielle Belton's Blogs website The Black Snob, here are two links that will direct you to imformative sites. http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2010/9/10/and-now-willow-smith-has-a-record-deal-and-you-dont.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOVKB8auDcA

Artist Relations and Music Entertainment

 In the Music Entertainment business world of today, there are several ways one can market themselves as artists. Rather you’re are an R&B singer or a Hip-Hop Rapper you will be faced with the troubles of promoting yourself. There are several ways to promote a musical artist including, but not limited to social media marketing, blogging, public relations, and email marketing. However, social networking is now the most popular way to promote your craft.  Face book, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace are just a few social network sites that will help artists to market and promote themselves.

Face book contains phenomenal applications when it comes to spreading the word quickly about upcoming events such as performance shows, live venues, tours, and appearances. The events application is helpful for networking, promoting and marketing your music. The tag feature on Face book allows you to tag your friends and fans that are following you on Face book as well as Twitter, and YouTube. One of the pros of Internet marketing includes that fact that you can market yourself as an independent artist at no expense. On the other hand, an artist who has signed a major recording contract has limited input on the marketing and promotional tactics of the music business.

Independent artists run into financial obligations that can be detrimental to their career because they aren't financially stable enough to cover the cost of professional music production and promotion. However, artist on a musical contract has as an Artist Relations management team, to handle the promotional aspect of exposing the artist and their talents. If you are a mainstream artist, your image is somewhat fabricated on a contractual basis because you have to follow certain image requirements. On the other hand, if you are an independent artist you can market your self-image the way you prefer. On that note those are some of the pros and cons of being an independent artist vs. a mainstream artist and some basic information about marketing and promoting the ideal artist. Here is a very helpful link that will explain some of the basics to marketing and promoting yourself as an artist.

 http://www.squidoo.com/ArtistInternetMarketing#

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