Artist Management

The role of an artist manager is really to do anything to further the artist’s career.  This can involve a well defined career plan or ironing out the tedious negotiation of a contract, suggesting a different outfit or contributing to a lyric idea or change or providing constructive criticism for a recording.  This can also range to even more personal management, like keeping different love interests at bay, or making sure they have their favorite food on hand. 

The artist manger must be multi-faceted.  They have to be a planner, an organizer, a confidant, a strategist, a traveling companion and a friend.  They are involved in every aspect of their life.  This is a tough job and everyone doesn’t have the personality or skills to handle the job.  They must definitely possess the desire to serve to be a good artist manager.

There is one area that the artist manager does not have complete control over, that can truly affect the artist’s career, their personal choices.  Too many artist and entertainers have made bad personal choices that have virtually ended their careers.  The artist manager cannot choose their love interest, how much they drink, if they choose drugs or other abusive habits, or live a lavish lifestyle that their finances cannot support.  This is a risk in taking on artist management.  You may have complete faith in their abilities or talent, but you never know when their personal choices will affect your paycheck.

 

The latest and most tragic example is Whitney Houston.  She had the talent to tame a lion with her voice, but made some very bad personal choices that virtually destroyed her career.  I’m sure her manager urged her to change her habits, advocated rehabilitation and many other interventions, but to no avail.  The drugs destroyed her voice.  She had so many people rooting for her, but no one could restore the vocal chords no matter how much we cheered.

  

Artist Management

Our first assignment in our class posed the question, what artist would you like to manage?  I  know there are thousands of people that I could have chosen, but I chose Stan Jones.  Stan Jones is an Artist, as well as a producer and songwriter.  He actually has numerous awards for his Songwriting and Producing.  Some people may wonder why I would choose him over all of the superstars in the gospel industry.  Well the first thing you have to understand is we have been instructed to make our goals attainable.  Stan Jones is attainable to me.  I know him, he was my husband's best man in our wedding and on top of that he is so talented and a joy to be around.

Our text, This Business of Artist Management, gives us the ingredients to a successful artist/manager relationship.  One of those ingredients is compatibility.  Regardless of my creative ideas and contacts, we have to be able to work together.  This makes for a great potential working relationship, since we've already conquered the first.  I don't expect him to consider me without the education I am receiving at Full Sail, because the one thing that I have learned about him is, he is professional when it comes to music.

Another factor in choosing him is his work ethic.  Our text tells us to take creative inventory of the artist's abilities.  Evaluating Stan Jones' ability, I know that he has the potential to become a greater influence in the industry as an Artist.  He has a unique sound and style.  He is not trying to be like anyone else in the industry.  Material is definitely not an issue, he has numerous awards for his writing, which increases the opportunity for long-term record deals, which he is negotiating a new deal now.  His Physical Appearance is an asset.  He is a clean-cut handsome man with a great style of his own. He definitely has the Total Image Package. He is a stellar guy with a strong work ethic and lives his image.