Highlighting the people powering the world of music.
The music podcast painting a comprehensive picture of the industry, from the artistry to the business.
Breaking down down the rights that enable artists and songwriters to generate revenue and the organizations they must register with to actually collect them. Think of this as the first day of class in a Music Business 101 course (or a 500-level graduate school course...).
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Remember live music? Well, it’s finally on its way back. Episode 57 of Made for Music features the co-founder of Rise Up Agency, Richard Gandy. He kickstarted his career in talent buying by leveraging contacts from his band days to help friends get booked around town. Fast forward a few years and he’s booked for the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Sevendust, and Halestorm to Willie Nelson, Rascal Flats, and the Steve Miller Band.
Their secret sauce? A people-centric approach. Throughout the interview the heart of both Richard and the agency are on full display throughout the course of the interview:
“I hope we can lift the load for people and not be a burden [to] come across like we’re team players…and that we’re good at what we do and there to help”
When breaking down the company’s pursuit of alleviating the stressors of putting on shows for both artists and venues alike, it became clear why they have been able to develop long-lasting relationships throughout the industry - and thus create a storied career - thriving twenty years later:
“I love music. I love helping people. You can do what you love and help people in a way that makes a difference, in a way that is above board and has integrity, and sleep good at night knowing you did your best for the day”
Episode 57 feat. Richard Gandy is now streaming on all major podcast platforms: linktre.ee/madeformusic.
Rise Up Agency: https://www.riseupagency.com/
Whether we like it or not, data is baked into everything in the music industry. Gone are the days of A&R stumbling upon artists in a dive bar and saying, “ya know what…they’re next, because my ear said so”. Was that ever the case? One could argue not. But breaking down why a record deal is just the beginning is another post.
Episode 56’s friend of the podcast literally taught me the role of data analytics in the music game. Cynthia was my instructor for “Data Analytics in the Music Business” at Berklee College of Music. Graduating from Harvard with a degree in Computer Science, she went on to work at Next Big Sound – a platform acquired by Pandora to provide social media, streaming service, and radio analytics. Bottom line, we’re getting the chance to learn from someone who built the analytics services major record labels are using to shape the music industry today.
Oh, and that’s just a sliver of what she’s accomplished. Some highlights from her career include Hadestown on Broadway, which just accelerated its return to the stage, to a recent streaming production of The Last Five Years from Out of the Box.
“When I came to the city I had this vague idea that I would gig on the side, do my day job, and then see where things went…I was playing piano for random improv shows…doing score work for people…then I slowly become more ensconced in the world and at some point it felt like ‘oh, I’m in the scene’”.
This is a great episode for folks interested in getting involved in the New York theatre scene. One of the key insights Cynthia provided one subject was the following:
“For the theatre scene, it’s a really small scene. That’s the good news. It’s so localized. If you’re looking for Broadway, you come to New York”
Next up: a secret movie project.
Katie Kuffel breaks down the creation of her latest masterpiece Alligator, the “fuck it” adjustment, DIY tips-and-tricks, and so much more.
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