Ferguson Career Coach Series
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Music Industry The Ferguson Career Coach Series Managing Your Career in the Health Care Industry Managing Your Career in the Music Industry Managing Your Career in the Sports Industry Managing Your Career in Theater and the Performing Arts Music Industry Shelly Field Ferguson Career Coach: Managing Your Career in the Music Industry Copyright © 2008 by Shelly Field All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact Ferguson An imprint of Infobase Publishing, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Field, Shelly. Ferguson career coach: managing your career in the music industry / by Shelly Field. — 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-5350-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8160-5350-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Music—Vocational guidance. 2. Music—Economic aspects. I. Title. ML3795.F498 2008 780.23—dc22 2007026795 Ferguson books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.fergpubco.com Text design by Kerry Casey Cover design by Takeshi Takahashi Printed in the United States of America VB FOF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper and contains 30% post-consumer recycled content. Disclaimer: The examples and practices described in this book are based on the author’s experience as a professional career coach. No guarantee of success for individuals who follow them is stated or implied. Results may vary. Readers should bear in mind that techniques described might be inappropriate in some professional settings, and that changes in industry trends, practices, and technology may affect the activi- ties discussed here. The author and publisher bear no responsibility for the outcome of any reader’s use of the information and advice provided herein. CONTENTS 1 Introducing Your Career Coach 7 2 Focusing on a Great Career in the Music Industry 18 3 Plan for Success in the Music Industry 37 4 Get Ready, Get Set, Go: Preparation 62 5 Job Search Strategies 84 6 Tools for Success 104 7 Getting Your Foot in the Door 134 8 The Interview 159 9 Marketing Yourself for Success 175 10 Succeeding in the Workplace 190 11 Succeeding on the Talent End of the Industry 206 12 Success Is Yours for the Taking 233 Appendix I: Trade Associations, Unions, and Other Organizations 241 Appendix II: Music-Related Web Sites 247 Bibliography 253 Index 265 1 INTRODUCING YOUR CAREER COACH B So you want to be in the music business? Great! a coach or someone who really knew what I You’ve just chosen to work in one of the most should be doing and could tell me what it was. exciting industries in the world. It can be glam- Unfortunately, I didn’t have that either. orous; it can be fun; and it can be financially Did anyone ever help me? It wasn’t that no rewarding. It can also be very competitive. Can one wanted to help, but most of the people in my you make it? network just didn’t have a clue about the music I’m betting you can, and if you let me, I’m industry. Did they know that the music indus- going to help you get there. Whether you’ve just try was a multibillion dollar business? Did they decided that you want to be in the music indus- know that it offered countless opportunities? try or you’re in and you want to move up the It really didn’t matter, because no one I knew career ladder, this book is for you. Whether you could give me an edge on getting in anyway. want to be on the business end or in the talent A couple of times I did run into some music area, this book can be your guide to success. industry professionals who did try to help. In What makes me such an expert? I’ve been one instance, a few months after I had started where you are. For as long as I can remember, job hunting, I finally landed an interview at a I wanted to be in the music industry, probably large booking agency. I arrived for my appoint- more than anything else in the world. I strug- ment and sat waiting for the owner of the agen- gled to get in. Could I find anyone to help? No. cy to meet with me. I sat and sat and sat. Did I know anyone in the business? No. Did I A recording artist who was a client of the live in one of the music capitals? No. The only agency walked over to me after his meeting thing I had going for me was a burning desire with the agent and asked how long I had been to be in the industry and the knowledge that I there. “Close to three hours,” I replied. My wasn’t going to quit until it happened. appointment was for 1 P.M. and it was almost At the time I was trying to enter the indus- 4 P.M. “What are you here for?” he asked. “I try, I wished there was a book to give me advice want to be in the music industry,” was my on how to move ahead, to guide me toward my answer. “I want to be a tour manager.” goals and give me insider tips. Unfortunately “Someday,” he said, “you’ll make it and this there wasn’t. I wished that I had a mentor or joker [the agency owner] will want something 8 Managing Your Career in the Music Industry from you and you can make him wait. Mark my I smiled, thanked the agent for meeting with words; it will happen.” He then stuck his head me, and left wondering if I would ever get a job inside the agency owner’s door and said, “This doing what I wanted. Was it sexual discrimina- woman has been sitting out here for hours; bring tion? Probably, but in reality the agent was just her in already.” As I walked into the office I had telling me the way it was at that time. He actu- a glimmer of hope. It was short lived, but it was ally believed he was being nice. Was it worth hope just the same. complaining about? I didn’t think so. I was The agency owner was very nice. During new to the industry and I wasn’t about to make our meeting he told me something to the effect waves before I even got in. The problem was, I of, if he ever needed someone with my skills and just couldn’t find a way to get in. talents, he would be glad to give me a call and On another occasion, I met a road manager I should keep plugging away. In other words, at a concert and told him about how I wanted to thanks for coming in. I talked to you; now please be a tour manager. He told me he knew how hard leave. Don’t call me; I’ll call you. it was to get into the industry so he was going to He then explained in a hushed voice, “Any- help me. “Call me on Monday,” he told me Sat- way, you know how it is: Most managers don’t urday. I did. “I’m working on it,” he said. “Call want girls on the road with their acts.” Not only me Wednesday.” On Wednesday he said, “Call was I being rejected because of my skills and me Friday.” This went on for a couple of weeks talents, but now it was because I was a girl. (Be- before I realized that he was trying to be nice but cause my name is Shelly, evidently many people really wasn’t going to do anything for me. incorrectly assumed I was male instead of fe- I decided that if I were ever lucky enough male when their secretary’s were setting up ap- to break into the music industry, I would help as pointments. The good news is that this got me many people who wanted a job doing anything into a lot of places I probably wouldn’t have had to fulfill their dream as I possibly could. I wasn’t a chance to get in. The bad news—once I got sure when I’d make it, but I knew I would get there, they realized I was not a man.) there eventually. Although like many others I dreamed about standing on a stage in front of thousands of adoring fans singing my number one song, in Tip from the Top reality, I knew that was not where my real talent During that interview at the booking agency, I learned two important lessons. One, was. I knew, however, that I did have the talent ruse what you have to get your foot in the door. to make it on the business end of the industry. If someone thought I was a man because of I did all the traditional things to try to get a my name, well, my idea was not to correct job.