"Cuz Baby I Perform This Way..."

As I look back at what I’ve learned this past month in my Artist and Product Management class through Full Sail University’s master’s program concentrating in Entertainment Business, I am full of new ideas, concepts and overall excitement for a career in the industry in the near future. In my time at Full Sail, I’ve gotten totally sucked in to my class reading, many of the books are ones that I’ve browsed pre-Full Sail and wanted to buy…now I get to read them for my educational enrichment! Along with these educational reads, I also have been creating a PLN (Personal Learning Network) that spans Twitter, LinkedIn, many RSS feeds and, of course, facebook. As my PLN grows, so does my knack to find the most recent and riveting entertainment news. With all of that said, this post is dedicated to some of the earth-shaking news in the world of entertainment, and how it ties into what I’ve been learning this past month. What is the topic and breaking news? None other than our dear friends Lady Gaga and Weird Al Yankovic…

How do these two even fit in the same sentence together besides the obvious fact that, well, they are both just plain ole weird? In a recent flurry of events this past week, Weird Al made it known that he attempted to parody Gaga’s  “Born This Way” with his “I Perform This Way” single, but was rejected by Gaga and her management team to move forward. Weird Al has for years been making parodies of well-known artists song from “White and Nerdy” to “I’m Fat” and thought he would give a shot at Lady Gaga, who thus far had escaped his good-fun poking parodies. Though Weird Al doesn’t need permission to release these parodies, he’s made it a general rule of thumb to get approval from the artist. In this case, Weird Al’s management team contacted Gaga’s team and eventually got a “no-go” after hearing the song. Mr. Yankovic was so shocked and bummed by the news that he wrote about his feelings on his blog and posted the “what would-be” song for fans to hear despite not actually officially releasing it. All of the profits would be going to the Human Rights Campaign if released.

Here’s where the drama continues to unfold…turns out Gaga never actually heard the song, and her manager took the liberty of rejecting the song. After all of the hoopla, Gaga ended up hearing the song a few days ago, and actually loved it, and also approved it. Phew, huh? ;-) It all goes to show you, artist and manager relationships can at times over-step boundaries. Now, let’s be honest, this managerial decision to reject Weird Al’s song isn’t the end of the world, unless you’re a die hard Weird Al fan, but in the end it makes me question Gaga’s relationship with her manager a little bit. I’m sure he/she’s a great guy or gal, and is just trying to keep her focused on preparing for her tour, but at the end of the day, that should have been Gaga’s decision. Those are the types of bumps that are likely to happen along the way unless an artist and manager sit down and hash out their communication plan and what’s most important. Again, overall, not the biggest decision in the world about Weird Al’s song, but it brings up a good point of keeping communication lines open with your manager, or the artist you are managing. Let’s face it, at the end of the day you could be missing out on a Weird Al parody. Word to the wise: Managers- communicate to your artists. Artists - communicate with your managers. Thanks for listening, family and friends. :-)

Facts referenced from this article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20056596-10391698.html

And, for a listen of the highly anticipated single: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUxXKfQkswE

Artist Management: What ARE those managers looking for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKjPrr9yTE

Panda Band Management interview at SXSW

As I watched this interview with a manager from Panda Band Management, I am reminded of once again how difficult this business of music can be to break into. It takes some intense focus, vision, planning and execution to even come close to making it big. This blog will focus briefly on the interview with Ray of Panda at SXSW, and then talk about some very important factors artist managers need to be looking for when taking on new talent. In essence, this post could be very helpful to both someone looking to become an artist manager, and also a band looking to gain a manager.

From the interview, Ray says the most important step is to have a plan, and have a plan on several levels…recording, distribution, touring. Management is there to help you achieve your goals, but you need to have goals, first. He suggests that the band is ready to record, or already have recorded. It also comes down to who they want their audience to be. In order to reach those audiences, they will have to make a product that appeals to them.

Ray also mentions first tours doesn’t usually make money, they end up being more of an investment to broader your audience. You get to meet a lot of new people and make new fans. You are also far more attractive to your fans at home because you are expanding your resume in a sense.

So, with that advice from a manager to a new artist or band getting started, I thought it would good to expand upon what a manager should be looking for before committing to new talent. From “This Business of Artist Management”, a book I’m reading for my Product and Management class through Full Sail University, I have been learning about what a manager is looking for beyond business organization assets. It’s very important to assess the creative skills and package that the artist or artists bring to the table. It’s not good enough for an artist to just have a good voice, but they need to bring the “whole package”, if you will. Some suggestions the book give from Chapter 10 are: taking inventory of your artist’s sound, their material and physical appearance.

When listening to an artist it’s important to see what differentiates them from the crowd. If you’re signing another Christina Aguilera, you are going to need to find a new angle to market her. It would be really helpful to sign an artist off-the-bat who is unique and offers something new. Physical appearance, as unfortunate and shallow as it may be, is also incredibly important in the entertainment industry. In order to be taken seriously, an artist needs to look their best and show some edge and pizzazz. A manager’s job is to point these things out, and make sure they are managing an artist who is unique and has a great look.

By taking a full inventory of an artist, a manager can have a good grasp on what direction the professional relationship will go. Overall, it’s important to plan as an artist and also a manager. In order to gain success in the music business goals need to be established and carried out. The relationship between the two is crucial and will set stage for success.