About me
Music Industry Veteran
I have been a self-employed in the music/arts industry for 20 years.
For the first 5 in Seattle and most recently in Nashville.
To quote Sinatra:
"I've been a puppet, a poet, a pirate, a pauper, a pawn and a king."
My business card says "Percussionist," but as you all know we wear MANY hats in this industry.
Explaining it to someone who is not in the Music Biz:
Recording/Touring Musician:
The duties include creating original content for artists on various musical instruments, interpreting the vision of the client and then translating that into music.
It was for this job that I won a Grammy in 2015.
Record Producer:
The duties are similar to those of a Recording Musician but with more responsibility. They include hiring musicians, directing those musicians in concordance with the artistic vision of the artist and creation of a final recorded product such as a CD.
The Producer turns the artist's music into a product.
Band Leader:
The duties are similar to those of a Record Producer, but pertain to live performances instead of studio recordings. Those duties include hiring/firing of musicians, arranging songs for the band and producing a live show. A Band Leader is "middle management" between the artist and the band.
Tour Manager:
The duties include advancing shows, collecting payment, coordinating transportation, hotels, interviews and show times. Tour Managers are in charge of the daily activities of a touring musical show. A tour manager is usually not a member of the band.
I toured managed tours across the United States as well as overseas.
Stage Manager:
The duties include running the stage, getting bands on and off in a timely manner and setting the stage for the next act. Instead of working for an artist, a stage manager works for the venue. This requires extensive planning, as there are multiple bands instead of just one artist.
Production Manager:
The duties of a Production Manager are similar to a Stage Manager but with more responsibility: They include renting backline, scheduling sound checks and performances as well as coordinating with multiple artists, management companies and tour managers. As a Production Manage I would coordinate upwards of 20 bands/artists over a period of three days at multiple venues across the city.
Songwriter:
Writing original music. Scoring original music for film.