Do You NEED a
Manager?
In today’s music industry there are so many options that an
independent artist has when it comes to management. If you are just starting
out in the business, you are probably the artist, the manager and CEO of your
own company. So how do you decide when to hire a manager as an independent
artist? This question is difficult to answer if you don’t have a plan, and are
not actively working on your career daily.
I also believe that an artist must know and understand what they are
looking for in a manager. Some artists just need a booking agent, while others
need someone to basically become a personal attendant. You will find that the
latter is more often the case when it comes to managing artists. Management is
definitely not a 9-5 job. Troy Carter, the manager of Lady GaGa states, ”You
really have to be passionate about the business so you will stick with it when
it’s hard“ (Renman 2013.)
The artist manager is more often looked to as the extra
member of the band or group. The relationship between a manager and artist are
more like a marriage than any other business partnership that exists. The
manager’s goal should be to take all of the business pressure off of the artist
so he can just focus on being an artist. The roles of a manager are clear:
o
Handle all business transactions on behalf of
the artist.
o
Maintain working relationships with other “team
members” that are all working toward the same goal of pushing the artist’s
career forward.
o
Create plan for future career moves and always
keep artist on track.
I think as an independent artist, you must decide if you are
ready to take your career to the next level. There is a lot of work that has to
be done before you reap even the first inkling of success in this business.
This industry is truly about having heart and faith in yourself as a viable
brand. You have to be the CEO of YOU. Once
you believe in yourself enough, then others will take you seriously. Soon
enough you will have people asking you “Why don’t you have a manager?” Once
this happens, you are probably ready to find the manager that is right for you.
I have the opportunity to wear the artist manager hat once
again in my career. I am currently representing Inspirational Jazz artist
Terrell Griffin. He is the newest client of Power Move Management LLC; a
startup business founded by my sister, Letrece Griffin. Yes Terrell is related
to me. He is my first cousin; but more importantly, he is a prolific singer and
Bass guitarist. He has traveled the World spreading his message of God’s love
and peace. He came to me because even though he has a strong local fan base, he
hasn’t taken advantage of the online resources that can help advance his
career, such as iTunes, YouTube, and Twitter. My plan is to get all of his
previously released music online, and use the buzz to promote his new album that
he is currently recording. This
is a video of Terrell Griffin called “New Release” from his last album entitled
Free.
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