datamusicata

Wednesday we talked about what you might do to create a following for what you do as a first step to preparing yourself for acquiring an impactful manager. The manager is going to have to see that you can generate income; people in the seats; money. If you can’t do that then most managers aren’t interested. And fame does more to initially put people in the seats more than anything else. Once they are in those seats, you had better be good or they will disappear. So hone your act and be prepared and then hire a promo person to create a buzz on you. If you can’t afford it, then start yourself. Find out the names of the local critics, the local magazines, the local reviewers and make certain that they hear about you on a weekly basis. And get your music to them. Eventually you will hit on some folks who “get” what you do.

Now which managers are you going to invite to your shows. Here’s where the internet will help again. Pick ten of your favorite national acts and find them on the web. Somewhere on the page it will tell you who they are represented by. Plus there are things like the Indie Bible that list hundreds of managers, agents, concert promoters, etc.

What you want to do is look at their roster. Are the acts on the roster like you? Exactly like you? If so then they probably already have someone who is so much like you that they don’t need you. But file these guys away and keep watching them. If that person who is like you leaves that manager, then you immediately contact them. They might be more receptive at that point.

And look at what you do. If you are an acoustic act, there is no point in trying to connect with a Hip Hop manager. You want a manager that can put you together with his other acts for tours, etc. Find the managers that handle acts similar to you, but not exactly the same. Contact them by email. They will all say that they are not looking for acts right now. That’s what they always say. Email them back and say that you appreciate how full their plate is, but that you would like to send in a package anyhow. Get their permission and send it in. Contact them in a week to ascertain that they received it and then keep them in the loop about what you are doing. And call them at least once a month. Develop a relationship with them if you can. One tact is to invite them to lunch on you. Tell that that you just want to pick their brains about the business. People are delighted to offer advice while they are being fed.

And then you can start inviting managers to your gigs, but don’t expect many of them to come, even when they say they will. But take no offense, just keep inviting them. At some point they will come, particularly if you have started that buzz with your self promotion efforts.

You can always find someone who will say that they’ll be your manager. Husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, fathers, mothers, etc, but none of these may be the right choice. I know of a remarkable singer who had a Top Five record for the year. Her stage performance is electrifying and her connection to an audience is truly magical. But she was managed by her husband he managed her right out of a career. Happens all the time. You want a manager that knows their stuff and believes in you. That’s a really big one.

That being said, if you find someone who really believes in you who has had no managerial experience, you can think about working with them in an on the job training kind of way. Be up front that you are doing this as your career and that you will be looking for a high torque manager. You know when Irving started out, he didn’t have any experience, but he sure has had some success. I mean ideally, you’d like to be picked up by some high profile, powerful manager that can open doors, but sometimes that is not so great either.

I had a very famous manager (he handled Sinatra, Presley-with the Colonel—and a host of other famous folks). Every time he saw me he called me Stafford—Jim Stafford had had a hit called Spiders and Snakes and this guy managed him too. That finally sunk in for me. If he couldn’t remember my name, what was I doing there? I didn’t matter to him. Not to mention the fact that if one act is making you a commission of ten thousand dollars and another is making you a commission of fifty bucks, who are you going to concentrate on?

Initially, you manage yourself. Then you see if you anyone shows up that has some interest and some business savvy. And all the while you are looking at all the managers that could help you. You contact as many as you can and you see which ones with whom you might actually have a relationship. It is best if you actually like them and they like you. And while you have all these balls in the air, don’t forget to practice your brains out and play on as many stages as you can, so that you are prepared when a real opportunity arises. And it will. Hang in there.