Why Artists Need Coaching - Where Do We Start?

As someone whose career goal is to essentially help artists connect with their fans and build a lasting career in the music industry, the first question I had to ask myself is, “Where do we start?” I know many artists who are doing independent demos, performing at any venue that will have them, and attempting to market themselves through social media. These artists just want to share their music, their creation, with the world. But in the world of digital media, it’s hard to get noticed. Not everyone can be a YouTube sensation like Justin Bieber or Karmin and suddenly get a record deal with a major label. That just doesn’t happen for the majority of artists, despite how incredibly talented they may be. So I started searching out in the world of cyberspace for established businesses that focused specifically on artist development. One site I found actually listed a directory of several major artist management firms. The site also offered a book written by Paul Allen called Artist Management for the Music Business. Many of these firms boast that they will organize an artist’s career so that they can be successful. Instead of shopping their music around to record labels for potential contracts, artists can now partner with these artist managers to develop their entire career. It would seem that in this day and age, with the flood of artists trying to get noticed so that they can connect with their fans, it is absolutely essential to have an artist manager. The artist manager role is one of a true partner with the artist, putting their needs and interests above all else. My goal as an artist manager is not just to make my artist commercially viable (after all, it IS the money that we all want to make) but also to develop that artist as a person. I don’t want to just manage…I want to COACH. Life coaching is my strong suit. It’s what I bring to the table that sets me apart from other artist managers. It is my feeling that any artist trying to make a lasting career for themselves needs to not only be interested in the business aspect of their career, but personal development as well. Without growing as a person, an artist will likely have difficulty making the right choices for their career. It is this pairing of an artist’s career management with their personal development that I hope will make me an effective, sought-after artist manager and coach. Thus why I branded myself as The HipHop Coach! Finally, after years of personal development on my part, I finally know what I want to be when I grow up.