Year 9 BTEC Music Home Learning Lesson 1: Job Roles in the Live Music Industry This Lesson…

• This lesson looks at the different personnel and job roles in the live music industry – so gigs, concerts and tours!

• Look at the following job profiles, examining the different roles and responsibilities for each one.

• Then answer the questions based on what you’ve learned. Job Roles: Live Music

VENUE PROMOTER: Examples: Live MANAGER: Nation, Slam Dunk, Futuresound Events

• A Promoter is a key figure in the live • A venue manager handles the business music industry. affairs of the venue, or event location. • They are responsible for the planning and • They are responsible for health and putting on of a gig, tour or event. safety, clean toilet facilities, clean drinking water and safe entrances & exits • They need to book the venue, book the – including fire escapes. acts to perform and they will often be responsible for making sure acts are paid • It is also the responsibility of a venue manager to ensure the venue is fully- licensed to play music. Job Roles: Live Music

SOUND Runners/ ENGINEER: Roadies: AKA: ‘The Sound Guy’. They ‘run’ around the They can make you venue, ensuring the sound RUBBISH, so be event runs smoothly! polite to them… • A sound engineer controls the sound desk at a concert or event. • The roadies, or stage crew, are responsible for getting equipment to and • They are responsible for setting up from the stage. equipment, making sure each person on stage is loud enough and packing • At larger events, they may also build the equipment away at the end of the night. stage and put up the stage lights. • At some larger events (stadium • They need to work as quickly as possible concerts), they will have assistants to make sure the show runs smoothly! called ‘runners’ or ‘roadies’ that help with setup/packing down. Job Roles: Live Music

LIGHTING Session TECHNICIAN: Musician: Controls the visual Session players, or ‘backing aspect of the band members’ are crucial performance. to a performance – particularly for solo artists! • A lighting tech. is responsible for the setting up, operating and packing down • A session musician is self-employed, and of the stage lighting at an event. relies solely on word of mouth and reputation to gain work. • They are responsible for liaising with the • They are responsible for learning their songs artist, finding out what colour lighting is for the event, for practicing their required for each song and making for a instrument and for being punctual and more eye-catching event. reliable. • At some larger events, there will be an • Solo artists that play with a backing band entire team of lighting technicians. Your need to hire session musicians to play the lighting technician can make or break songs for them – so you have to be very your event’s professionalism and image! good! Job Roles: Live Music

Artist: ARTIST The one you pay your money for, the one MANAGEMENT: getting all the Artist managers deal with recognition. the business affairs of the artist. Depending on the artist they manage, their involvement can vary. • An artist is responsible for knowing their material and being able to perform at • Artist managers look after their artist’s the expected standard. needs and requirements – often for a 20% cut of any earnings. • For smaller events (pubs and bars), artists will undertake many of the • They are responsible for finding work for aforementioned roles themselves, such artists, liaising with promoters and other as roadie and even sometimes promoter. industry figures and making sure artists are on top of their game and working hard. • At big events, and the more famous the • At the start of an artist’s career, they will be artist, these responsibilities are shared – their own manager – until their career some artists even get told what time to requires them to have a manager to allow wake up in the morning! the artist to concentrate on their music. Questions…

1. Sam is a promoter. He has a band coming to his city to play a gig, but he has not yet booked his venue. Who should Sam contact first?

2. Dua Lipa is a solo musician, her new album has gone straight to number 1 – she now needs to perform the album live to promote it! Who does she need to hire in order to play the songs live? Why is this? Questions…

3. A band arrive to play a gig and the venue has a leak in the roof and cannot open for health and safety reasons. Who is responsible for this?

4. An artist finds it difficult to maintain the business side of their career while still performing to the best of their ability – who do they need to hire?

5. Fans leave an event very disappointed… They couldn’t hear the singer! Who is at fault for this?