TruSource Technology DL2 Integrated Digital Mixer

EXEC PROFILE
BACKGROUND: After a disenchanting
run at a singing career,
Evita Kaigler decided she’d get
close to music in a different
way—by becoming an attorney.
Many of the challenges and misconceptions
she’d been forced to
overcome in following that path,
she realized, didn’t need to exist.
Hence, she created Future Music
Attorneys, a non-profit program
dedicated to educating aspiring
entertainment lawyers through
seminars and an online presence.
Having grown exponentially
between the program’s first and
second installments, FMA’s future
looks brighter than ever.
Evita G. Kaigler
Founder
Law Offices of Evita G. Kaigler
Future Music Attorneys
Years with Company: 6
Address: Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-249-4327
FAX: 404-601-0803
Web: http://evitakaigler.com,
http://futuremusicattorneys.com
E-mail: assistant@egklawoffices.com
Clients: Big K.R.I.T., Joey Bada$$, Jarren Benton
“There isn’t a client I have where I don’t know
the music. Knowing the music helps me figure
out the conversation I need to have.”
Fantasy, Meet Reality:
Music chose me; I didn’t have a
choice. I was an artsy kid, always
in my own world, and music was
there. I had to be involved with music
somehow. I thought, I want to be
a performer. I had stars in my eyes.
I remember standing in line at auditions
saying to myself, this is not
what I had in mind. It was my dream
meeting the real world.
A New Path:
I began reading books about the
industry and came across Donald
Passman’s, All You Need to Know
About the Music Business. It was
amazing. This is the bible of the industry
and it’s written by a lawyer.
Clearly, this is a guy who’s in demand
and involved in music.
First Steps:
Law school was tough, because
I was there to get to the music but
none of my classes dealt with that.
Graduation came around and I did
not have a job offer for what I wanted
to do, so I started my own practice. I
began to understand I had to build a
brand for myself, just how an artist or
producer would. Eventually, people
start paying you, not much at first or
at all. Then you get that client that
you’ve been with from the beginning
and they become successful.
Cast Wide:
In my third year of law school, I interned
at a label called Sho’Nuff
Records. A mentor of mine asked,
“What are you doing to become a
part of the community?” I hadn’t
thought about that. I thought I would
graduate, tell people I loved music,
know I was smart and they’d hire me.
I had contacts through the labels. I
would go to open mic nights and
meet people. I would work on small
deals. I also worked with a company
called Music Is My Business
for about two years. I wasn’t getting
a check from it, but I would meet
people through that. I didn’t have a
formula; I just cast my net wide.
A Little Knowledge:
When I graduated, I knew what I
wanted to do but I had no help. I had
to learn through trial and error. Once
I got some traction in my career, several
students reached out to me. At
one point, I was taking everyone on,
mentoring as much as I could. It got
to the point where I couldn’t physically
take the time to meet with everyone.
And there are lawyers who
have different insights and students
should be able to benefit from those
as well. I began to think about what
I could create that could get information
out there and provide access to
a profession that seems to be secretive
and closed off.
It’s Free!:
The first year, it was $25 for the
whole year. There was one panelist
who didn’t want to contribute his
time because the students were being
charged. I thought, if this is going
to hinder my program in any way,
I don’t want that to happen. I’m incurring
all the costs to build the program
and get information out there. I
would love to see the program align
with a brand or do strategic partnerships
with corporations that can foot
some of the costs.
Where To:
I would love for this program to be
internationally recognized as the
go-to resource for students who are
interested in this profession. And I
would love for music business programs
and law schools with music
law classes to use us as a resource
for their students. Eventually, I see
this program having seminars and
programs in different states.
Get Out There:
There’s so much you can do to immerse
yourself in the culture. Think
broadly about how you can generate
a good experience for yourself
before you even become a lawyer.
You’ve got ASCAP, BMI and SES-
AC doing tons of events. You’ve got
NARIP, music conferences, concerts…
All of that stuff is relevant. If
you know the culture, the music, the
trends, the charts, the language, the
people, how they create, how they
move, it makes you a solid consultant.
Music law is not just about the
paperwork but [also] being able to
manage the careers of your clients.
Break It Down:
There are three areas that musicians
have to focus on: their music,
their business and their brand. Every
issue they’re going to have in
their career falls under one of those
umbrellas. It can be overwhelming,
but if you break it down you can find
pieces that you can shape and mold.
Become more practical in how you
approach your career. I’m a believer
in using the music that’s in your gut.
Start with that and then find a way to
shape and mold it to where people
want to consume it.
Getting Serious:
The business piece is where I come
—ANDY KAUFMANN
in. You’ve created a song—it’s not
just a record, it’s intellectual property.
What are the different pieces?
If you’ve got partners in a band,
we need a partnership agreement,
which nobody likes. That’s the business
piece—this is now not just your
craft. This is about the business of
your craft.
Branding:
What does your brand mean?
What’s the experience your brand
conveys? What are the strategic
alliances that make sense for you?
How are you connecting with your
consumer? You don’t have to have
your music reach the entire world
in order to be successful. Someone
has to consume it, someone has to
invest in it, somebody has to believe
in it. What are you doing to create
that experience? Write out your
goals, visions and to-do lists.
Lemons vs. Lemonade:
I’m reading the Clive Davis book he
wrote in 1976. I’ve always looked at
Davis as someone who started as a
lawyer and became an icon. When
he went to Columbia Records, he
was dealing with the same issues
we’re dealing with now. He was
a lawyer, not a music guy, but he
studied the industry and the trends.
That’s inspirational, because it says
to me this can be figured out and I
want be at the forefront of figuring it
out.
That’s another thing I love about
where we are—you can’t tell me the
ideas I have are right or wrong. Nobody
knows. It sucks that we don’t
have a machine you can plug your
music into and know exactly how
you’re going to get paid, but you’ve
got an opportunity to break ground.
It’s not going to be easy, but if you
study the history and try to have
some insight as to where we’re going,
be creative and innovative, you
can do this and do it well. You’ve
got to put on a couple different hats
and roll up your sleeves. The people
who are willing to do that will get the
reward.
Contact Dos:
Provide me with a link of something
that showcases who you are musically.
There isn’t a client I have
where I don’t know the music. Knowing
the music helps me figure out the
conversation I need to have. Also,
it gives me a picture of the brand
you’re building, the direction you’re
going. Leave your name, a callback
number and the nature of your call,
whether you’re looking to have a
consultation or a particular deal.
Legacy:
I love music way too much to be
passive. How am I contributing?
This program is one of those ways.
People are learning and utilizing the
information. It’s going to make the
music space much healthier. Fifty
years from now, I want people to
think of Clive Davis, Quincy Jones
and Evita Kaigler. That’s the goal, so
I’ve got a lot of work to do.
28 December 2012 www.musicconnection.com