While revising the site’s “About” page, I realized that it’s been a while since I wrote about one of the most important skills for a music manager to develop: the ability to rally and display support. Bands often get stuck on bookings because talent buyers hate to coordinate shows directly with artists. It doesn’t help [...]

“Fake it until you make it.” That’s frequent advice in the music industry. Just look at Lady Gaga. Folks that know her well can tell you about the tipping point when she went from another New York singer/songwriter to a performance artist who acted so crazy and outlandish that audiences couldn’t help but notice her. [...]

For most of the past few weeks, I’ve been offline more than online. And those moments I’ve been online, I’ve been working exclusively on client projects instead of mixing in networking and promotion. I’m not intentionally becoming a social media hermit, though. It seems that Lori and I move about once every two years, on [...]

I wrote Music Management for the Rest of Us to help novice artist managers avoid the kinds of mistakes I made when I first started managing acts. I also wrote the book to help musicians understand that it was becoming easier to convert a trusted friend or family member into a competent manager than to [...]

If you’re a friend, a family member, or a fan enlisted to take on management duties for a musician, reading books about the business might not be enough to get you up to speed on what you really need to know. While you might think working for free is beneath you, it’s also essential to [...]

I get a little worried when a new music manager writes up a goal sheet that includes “attend/work a music conference.” Music conferences are fun, raucous affairs. But many bands treat them as little more than extensions of already overheated local scenes. Very few “civilians” attend, so it’s hard to try to convert locals into [...]

When I started in college radio, my friends and I would jockey for position by the mailbox on the day when R&R would arrive. Two decades ago, trade magazines were the only way you knew what was happening in markets beyond your own, short of getting on the phone and calling folks you knew in [...]

Andy Wibbels just floated a great quote from John Waters about finding something you love and making it your life’s work. And while you may need to dabble–against John Waters’ advice–to really discover whether a passion is worth pursuing, it’s going to take hold of your life pretty darn quick. Some folks find my book, [...]