Lessons I Have Learned As a Young Person in the Music Industry
As a young person working in the music industry, I have had several highs and plenty of lows.
I started working in the industry when I was fourteen by starting my own organization.
This organization is based on a series of benefit concerts to promote awareness for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and to help raise funding for a cure.
As a fourteen year old with no experience, I was jumping in head first, but I learned some valuable lessons in the years since I have started.
Lesson one is that some musicians will show you nothing but respect, while others will try to push every button you have.
No matter what happens, you must stand your ground.
I set high standards for the musicians at the show, as they were becoming a representation of me and my organization by being associated with us.
With that in mind, I created my own rules and regulations and tied them in with the rules and regulations of the venue.
I put this into a contract that each musician had to sign before they could set foot on the stage.
One year, an artist tried to refuse to sign the contract, saying he was not going to listen to a teenage girl, though he was only a few years older than I was at the time.
I proceeded to tell him that he would not be performing until he signed the contract, which he then tried to create a number of excuses.
I presented him with one of the extra contracts I had and told him he had ten minutes to decide if he would be performing.
Needless to say, he signed the contract and performed later that night.
Another year, I had another artist try to intimidate me.
The venue had to print passes for band members and their guests in order for them to have access to the green room and to be able to roam about the venue for free.
This artist approached me, stating that his band had to go do a photo shoot and that they would be back ten minutes before their set.
He then demanded the passes.
I explained to him that not only were the passes not ready, but he had signed a contract stating that he and his band would be at the venue a minimum of thirty minutes prior to show time.
This man, two feet taller than me and at least fifteen years my senior, proceeded to step closer to me and get into my face to yell at me, saying that his band would simply not show up.
He proceeded to use vulgar language and step closer towards me, threatening to pull his band from the show.
I simply told him to step back, which he did just the opposite of.
Security guards noticed this happening and started to approach the area, but I then was able to tell the band member that I would pull his band from the show and they would not be welcome back to the venue unless he followed the contract and respected me.
It was me that then took a step towards him and became the assertive one.
This man later apologized and the band was an hour and a half early for their set.
Lesson two is as long as you present yourself in a professional manor, people will treat you as a professional despite your age.
While that sounds contradictory to lesson one, it is not.
The incidents that occurred in the last lesson were exceptions.
Out of dozens of bands that I have worked with, those are the only two incidents of disrespect that I have to report.
Whether I was meeting with the venue owner to discuss the event or the bands to give a briefing and tour of the venue, I was always dressed in a full suit.
The first thing a person notices about you is appearance.
Since I dressed like an experienced industry member, people treated me as such.
When I spoke at meetings, the room was silent and the band members and guests were attentive.
I treated the bands with respect and made sure I made a connection with them, allowing them to know they could approach me with any questions, problems, or concerns, but knowing that I also expected to be respected back.
I did not openly discuss my age, but if people happened to find out, most of them did not believe it.
I can recall one entire band approaching me after a meeting, asking if I was really a teenager.
I proceeded to say yes, in which they then told me I was one of the most professional sounding and appearing people that they had ever worked with.
After that, they still treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism.
Lesson three is to have the "anything that can go wrong will go wrong" mentality.
When there are a number of bands, a large audience, alcohol, and large expensive equipment around, it is best to be prepared.
Always make sure you have backup microphones and cords of all kinds, a first aid kit, a knowledgeable staff, and ultimately a pair of eyes in the back of your head.
At one event, there was an incident in which a member from a different band threw an open bottle of water at the band that was performing.
Water got all over the equipment, the band members, and the stage.
There was so much water aimed at one of the members that part of the equipment he had brought with him was ruined.
Luckily, I had made sure that there were extras of that piece of equipment and I ran up with my sound engineer to switch them out so the show could continue while security helped dry the stage.
I had happened to notice which band member had done this, as he had become increasingly intoxicated through the night.
He paid for a replacement for the person's ruined equipment and sobered up before his performance.
There was also an incident at one of the shows in which the lead singer's microphone broke.
I carried one on me as I was running through the venue, so I was able to switch it out.
It had already been balanced, so the show continued smoothly.
Most incidents that occur cannot be avoided, but they can be easily solved with the right amount of preparation.
The worst thing you can be is unprepared.
In this industry, it is easy to lose control of who you are working with or of a situation that has gotten out of hand, especially if you are young and have little experience.
As a young person myself, I am still learning.
However, I know that if you stand your ground, act and dress professional, and stay prepared, having an event such as a concert can go smoothly.
I continue to learn, as I hope I will in years to come, however I know that I already have a solid base to fall back on.
I started working in the industry when I was fourteen by starting my own organization.
This organization is based on a series of benefit concerts to promote awareness for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and to help raise funding for a cure.
As a fourteen year old with no experience, I was jumping in head first, but I learned some valuable lessons in the years since I have started.
Lesson one is that some musicians will show you nothing but respect, while others will try to push every button you have.
No matter what happens, you must stand your ground.
I set high standards for the musicians at the show, as they were becoming a representation of me and my organization by being associated with us.
With that in mind, I created my own rules and regulations and tied them in with the rules and regulations of the venue.
I put this into a contract that each musician had to sign before they could set foot on the stage.
One year, an artist tried to refuse to sign the contract, saying he was not going to listen to a teenage girl, though he was only a few years older than I was at the time.
I proceeded to tell him that he would not be performing until he signed the contract, which he then tried to create a number of excuses.
I presented him with one of the extra contracts I had and told him he had ten minutes to decide if he would be performing.
Needless to say, he signed the contract and performed later that night.
Another year, I had another artist try to intimidate me.
The venue had to print passes for band members and their guests in order for them to have access to the green room and to be able to roam about the venue for free.
This artist approached me, stating that his band had to go do a photo shoot and that they would be back ten minutes before their set.
He then demanded the passes.
I explained to him that not only were the passes not ready, but he had signed a contract stating that he and his band would be at the venue a minimum of thirty minutes prior to show time.
This man, two feet taller than me and at least fifteen years my senior, proceeded to step closer to me and get into my face to yell at me, saying that his band would simply not show up.
He proceeded to use vulgar language and step closer towards me, threatening to pull his band from the show.
I simply told him to step back, which he did just the opposite of.
Security guards noticed this happening and started to approach the area, but I then was able to tell the band member that I would pull his band from the show and they would not be welcome back to the venue unless he followed the contract and respected me.
It was me that then took a step towards him and became the assertive one.
This man later apologized and the band was an hour and a half early for their set.
Lesson two is as long as you present yourself in a professional manor, people will treat you as a professional despite your age.
While that sounds contradictory to lesson one, it is not.
The incidents that occurred in the last lesson were exceptions.
Out of dozens of bands that I have worked with, those are the only two incidents of disrespect that I have to report.
Whether I was meeting with the venue owner to discuss the event or the bands to give a briefing and tour of the venue, I was always dressed in a full suit.
The first thing a person notices about you is appearance.
Since I dressed like an experienced industry member, people treated me as such.
When I spoke at meetings, the room was silent and the band members and guests were attentive.
I treated the bands with respect and made sure I made a connection with them, allowing them to know they could approach me with any questions, problems, or concerns, but knowing that I also expected to be respected back.
I did not openly discuss my age, but if people happened to find out, most of them did not believe it.
I can recall one entire band approaching me after a meeting, asking if I was really a teenager.
I proceeded to say yes, in which they then told me I was one of the most professional sounding and appearing people that they had ever worked with.
After that, they still treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism.
Lesson three is to have the "anything that can go wrong will go wrong" mentality.
When there are a number of bands, a large audience, alcohol, and large expensive equipment around, it is best to be prepared.
Always make sure you have backup microphones and cords of all kinds, a first aid kit, a knowledgeable staff, and ultimately a pair of eyes in the back of your head.
At one event, there was an incident in which a member from a different band threw an open bottle of water at the band that was performing.
Water got all over the equipment, the band members, and the stage.
There was so much water aimed at one of the members that part of the equipment he had brought with him was ruined.
Luckily, I had made sure that there were extras of that piece of equipment and I ran up with my sound engineer to switch them out so the show could continue while security helped dry the stage.
I had happened to notice which band member had done this, as he had become increasingly intoxicated through the night.
He paid for a replacement for the person's ruined equipment and sobered up before his performance.
There was also an incident at one of the shows in which the lead singer's microphone broke.
I carried one on me as I was running through the venue, so I was able to switch it out.
It had already been balanced, so the show continued smoothly.
Most incidents that occur cannot be avoided, but they can be easily solved with the right amount of preparation.
The worst thing you can be is unprepared.
In this industry, it is easy to lose control of who you are working with or of a situation that has gotten out of hand, especially if you are young and have little experience.
As a young person myself, I am still learning.
However, I know that if you stand your ground, act and dress professional, and stay prepared, having an event such as a concert can go smoothly.
I continue to learn, as I hope I will in years to come, however I know that I already have a solid base to fall back on.
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