PERFECT MATCH

RIDDLE THE SPHINX
Burgundy Morgan
(burgundymorgan@aol.com)
http://riddlethesphinx.com
RIDDLE THE SPHINX are a group of seasoned
and formally trained musicians, inspired by
a combination of world and classical music.
They have always managed themselves, and
gotten some pretty impressive results, including
multiple awards and Grammy nominations.
In fact, the press has called them “one of the
most unique bands in Los Angeles.” The act’s
members are also humanitarians, aligning
themselves with organizations such as Project
Peace on Earth, and the non-profit organization
HeARTS Giving Hope.
WHY DO YOU MANAGE YOURSELF
It’s the way we’re structured. We never really
had a need for management. Part of the reason
is that we have a couple professionals (attorneys)
in the band who can handle most of the
work. Also, we’ve set up a “Finder’s Fee”
arrangement in our band
agreement. It gives anyone,
including band members
would give us an advantage. But the reality is
it’s often a whole lot of unpaid work. So, if we’re
unable to do something because we’re busy,
we’ll just pool our money and hire someone to
help us for $8 to $10 an hour.
ISN’T HIRING OUTSIDE HELP
PROHIBITIVE
Somebody needs to take care of business, and
if you can’t do it––for any reason––get help.
The fact is many artists will spend more on their
bar tab than it costs to hire someone. If you’re
serious about it, you’ll either find the money
when you need it, or recruit someone to help.
WHAT’S THE KEY TO SELF
MANAGEMENT
Being organized and knowing something about
the business is important, but I think the right
attitude is critical. You can learn to do anything
for free on the Internet. But, you should make
it “fun.” If you’re not happy doing it, do it differently.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER
HIRING A MANAGER
I doubt it. We don’t
need handholding
ADVICE FOR OTHER ARTISTS
When you start out, be prepared to manage
yourself, because no one else is going to do
it for you until you start producing income.
Embrace technology. There are so many tools
now, anyone can self-manage as long as
they’re willing to devote the time. If you’re in
a group, use Google Docs to communicate,
have a band meeting once a week, and make
sure you know who the point person is on any
project. Most of all––have fun… and remember,
it’s about the music.
ERIC SLATER
(ericslatermusic@gmail.com)
http://ericslater.com
ERIC SLATER has been managing himself for
the past two years. He’s had a successful career
as a recording artist for two labels and has
toured on more than one continent. This artist
has also had several managers, but decided to
manage himself in order to have control over
his music and career. Slater found that, sometimes,
managers had a different vision than his
own and, ultimately, he was not comfortable
following their approach.
or outsiders, 20 percent of all revenue generated
if they bring in a project that produces
income. We found that is a strong incentive to
make things work.
WHO HANDLES DAY-TO-DAY
OPERATIONS
We divide most functions equally, with each
person covering a specific area. You would
think that having professionals in the group
and what we can’t
do, we outsource.
But if a manager had
some ideas on how to
increase our revenue,
we’d certainly listen.
HOW DO YOU
GENERATE IN-
COME
I’m a big believer in
mailbox income. I’d
rather pick up a check than play a live gig. As
you get older and have more responsibilities,
touring and gigging become less attractive. So
you focus more on publishing income and new
technology. For example, we just streamed a
live show online and made more money than
we do playing most venues. The beauty of it
was we didn’t have to drive anywhere, unload
gear and find a place to park. We just had to set
up a video camera and broadcast it.
WHY DO YOU MANAGE YOURSELF
I’ve had managers from my teens through
my twenties, and it was sort of like having an
enabling parent. They did everything and I gave
them the power to do so. Eventually, I realized
I wanted to do things my way and, even more
importantly, I wanted to take the power back.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM
WITH MANAGERS
I wouldn’t call it a problem; it was just a different
approach. Most managers want to shoot for
the top because that’s where the money is.
They want to hit a home run by making you a
mainstream commercial success. And I bought
into that for quite a while. But, I discovered that
having a manager did not make people care
about me or my music. In fact, sometimes a
manager would strike such a hard deal that it
would kill an opportunity and reflect poorly on
me. And, you know, opportunities are hard to
come by today.
March 2013 www.musicconnection.com 41