PERFECT MATCH

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO
MANAGE YOURSELF
You need to believe in yourself and have an
understanding of the business. I watched my
managers and saw what worked and what
didn’t. I became aware of how the business
operates and who the players are. That sort
of experience is invaluable. But, managing yourself
is not easy. You need a sense of direction
and a clear vision of what you want and how
you’re going to get it.
THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF
SELF-MANAGEMENT
It can be frustrating because of the time it
requires. You can spend so much time with
marketing, promotions, PR and everything else
that you have very little time left for your art. In
fact, if you did everything conventional wisdom
tells you to do, you’d never have time to write a
song or play a show. Because of that, you have
to prioritize and focus on specific goals and timelines.
You need to decide what’s really important.
I found that you can’t do everything you want to
do, but you can do things that get results.
MARINA V
(marina@marinav.com)
http://marinav.com
MARINA V is a totally self-sufficient DIY queen
who has managed herself for the past four years.
She is so effective at self-management, she
probably scares off most managers. Her fans
have financed all of her recordings and have
helped her build an international touring career,
with shows in the US, Russia, London, Portugal
and Washington D.C. A multi-award winner,
she’s appeared on network television and placed
songs on popular TV shows, including a Pepsi
campaign.
HAVE YOU EVER
HAD A MANAGER
I’ve had one official
manager and a few
unofficial managers.
David Krebs (Aerosmith,
Ted Nugent, AC/
DC, Trans Siberian
Orchestra, et al) was
and expertise. But, finding a good manager is
a lot like dating. I would only consider that type
of relationship with someone who is passionate
about my music, and is willing to work as hard
as I do.
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO MAN-
AGE YOURSELF
You have to be smart and organized, and need
to know something about the business. Having
a strategy and a plan is very important. Strategizing
is probably the hardest part. Sometimes
it’s hard to be objective about what you’re
doing. But, you have to be honest with yourself
and decide what’s best for your career.
THE KEY TO DIY MANAGEMENT
For me it’s networking and absorbing knowledge
and experience along the way. I like to
keep aware of what’s happening in the business.
I’ll ask questions of every industry pro I
meet. I want to know how they think and what
projects they’re working on. I try to figure out a
way I can help them. If you’re managing yourself,
you’re always on the move and always on
the hustle.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER WORK-
ING WITH A MANAGER
I might consider co-management if it’s the right
person. Recently, several potential managers
have courted me. But I require a lot more
from them than I used to. I want a manager
who values my artistic integrity and has the
right vision for my career. I want someone
who understands me, my music and my influences.
I don’t want someone who just wants to
exploit me. I’d rather work with someone who
respects what I do and how I do it.
my official manager
for several years. He
was very helpful and
I learned a lot from
him. After we parted
ways I found that
many people called
themselves managers,
but that didn’t
mean they could do
the job. That’s why
I’ve had unofficial managers for trial periods. I
wanted to see if they could work with me. Eventually,
I discovered that I could accomplish a lot
more on my own.
BEST PART OF SELF-MANAGEMENT
I enjoy being my own boss. It’s fun and creative
because there’s really no right or wrong
way to do things. Whatever works is what you
go with. I’ve been doing it for so long now, I
don’t want to ever give up total control. I like
the freedom self-management gives you. I look
at acts like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Paul
McCartney (as a solo act). They’ve all had a
personal impact on their careers. They didn’t
just rely on someone else for their success.
They made it happen.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER WORK-
ING WITH A MANAGER
I might consider co-management. But, a
manager would have to bring a lot to the table.
I would need someone with more connections
YOUR FAN ENGAGEMENT IS AMAZ-
ING––WHAT’S YOUR SECRET
I love crowd sourcing. My fans are my priority. I
ask them for their opinions and always answer
their questions. I make them feel like their part
of a team, because they are. If a fan asks me
to play somewhere, I ask them to help me book
a show. If they do that, I’ll give them a house
concert. That has gotten me more bookings
than just about anything else.
DO ARTISTS NEED A MANAGER
When you have so much going on that it’s difficult
to handle, it’s nice to have help. But, that
doesn’t necessarily mean you need a full time
manager. Sometimes just outsourcing a function
will get the job done. For example, I have
friends/fans help with my website and booking
shows. In fact, at this point in my career, I think
a booking agent would be more helpful than a
manager. I’d love to go on a national tour.
VINYL SOUL
Nambo Enrique
(beatween@hotmail.com)
http://vinylsoulmusic.com
VINYL SOUL are the ultimate DIY duo. Comprised
of Nambo Enrique and Jay Hurtado, they
utilize a revolving cast of musicians for band
dates. Totally self-contained, they write together,
produce their own recordings and busk
on the streets for extra income. They’ve toured
42 March 2013 www.musicconnection.com