August 2023

You shared that you learned a lot about the music world by deep diving into music articles and interviews. What are some other actions that have helped strengthen your industry foundations?

There's Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and more music business-specific outlets like Variety, Music Business Worldwide, and Forbes. I highly suggest people check out those sites. 

I learned the most about audience engagement just by being out there… going to shows, seeing what merch was selling where, seeing how fans reacted. You can also learn a lot about an audience by watching live streams and seeing how fans interact on Instagram comments- there are patterns of behavior. It’s also a matter of figuring out what niche you want. For example, if you know you want to be in dance music, going to DJ shows, watching Insomniac, and finding the big names in that genre and seeing what they're doing is super helpful. 

Did you get involved in the local music scene early in your career? What were some opportunities you gained from networking at such events?

I was the super annoying kid that would go up to tour managers or the merch people at concerts and ask, “Hey, I want to get into music. How’d you get here?” I was very big on meeting people in person. You’d be surprised at how much people are willing to tell you and share advice!

I grew up going to Amoeba Records. They probably hated me - I never bought anything. I’d go there once a week and just sit there going through records. I’d ask, “What’s a new act that you’re seeing move a lot?” 

When I was at NYU, I went to a talk by Eddie Sears from Ultra Records. We hit it off! He was excited that I was excited. A year later, I emailed him and he remembered me because I had made an impression. Ultra was expanding their marketing department, and that’s how I found out about an upcoming job and applied.

I was very personable. I was never too busy to hop on a zoom with an artist or manager, and never afraid to take the opportunity to put myself out there. All you need is 3 seconds of insane courage!

You mentioned that building a story and consistently keeping fans in the loop is essential for artists to maintain audience interest and support. Who are artists that have done a phenomenal job of keeping you absorbed in their journey and endeavors? 

I’d say the pop girlies. Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish lean into their fanbase in a cool way. They are really great at Easter-egging, knowing that the fanbase is watching everything. When Billie was a guest at Labrinth’s Coachella performance, she teased it by taking a photo of Palm Springs and posting a question mark. That set off a fire. Olivia Rodrigo did a video saying “Tracklist Incoming”. She went to different parts of her room in the video, and it was revealed that those different parts had the tracklisting on it. 

Matty Healy from the 1975, will tell everyone what’s going on in his head 24/7. He’ll post a meme, a tweet, and let everyone know how he feels about things. 

Do you think engagement with the audience is a critical aspect in an artist’s career?

I do! For better or for worse, artists are keeping their fanbase aware and are willing to engage. If you want fans to buy your merch or pre save your song, you’re asking them to invest in your art. They need to feel like they’re a partner.

I also think it's important that artists save parts of themselves for themselves. It can be overwhelming to have everyone watching your world. It’s great to have an open dialogue while taking a step back when needed. Plenty of artists have been honest and said, “Hey, I’m taking a mental health break. I’ll be back in a month, don’t leave.” 

What is your go-to motivational song? The song that keeps you resolute and positive through long days? 

I love sad girl music. I will wake up and put on “Motion Sickness”- Phoebe Bridgers Radio. So I’m a little skewed. 

For comfort and something to get me through the day, I love Lana Del Rey’s Norman F****** Rockwell and Lorde’s Melodrama. They’re my favorite albums of all time. 

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Nonsense” has been my hype song for the past year. 

There’s a song by one of my artists, Charli Adams, “everything she wanted”. That’s probably what I’ve been listening to the most, it’s just so good! That's for the girlies who were like “I can’t make it another day”, and now they’re here, and life is good. 

As a female-identifying creative in the music industry, what is the one piece of advice you wish someone had given you, or that you would give to others?

Don’t think you’re lucky to be here, because they are equally lucky to have you. As women, as minorities, we’re often told “You should be grateful, you get to be here”. And yeah, for sure. I’m very privileged with every opportunity I’ve had, but I also know that every place I’ve worked at has had the privilege of having me. 

Accept that you will likely have to work harder than your male counterpart, but stay focused on your own lane. If I’d realized that earlier, I could have saved myself some anxiety. 

I get underestimated quite often or treated as if I’m an amateur. I get left off emails where they just address the male managers. It doesn’t bother me, because once I open my mouth, no one questions me again.

We need more women, minorities, and people of different backgrounds! 

I had my first opportunity to learn from Ms. Dani at the NYU Music Business Summer Program, and I got to speak with her again this week!  Ms. Dani has led marketing for artists like Yung Gravy, and has supervised Black Coffee’s Grammy-winning album rollout. She is currently the CMO of talent management company FM Group. She is a laser-focused leader with insightful advice that I am so excited to share. She also has some amazing music recommendations…