Personal:
My name is Dan Gaines and I recently graduated from Muhlenberg College in May of 2022 with a degree in Accounting. Over the past few summers, I worked for my father’s accounting firm in New Jersey. I have always been exposed to leadership tactics due to this, but these in person experiences really shined light on it. Coming into this class, I was very eager to learn more about leadership and I decided to pick a research question about building relationships because I felt as though that was a core skill leaders must have.
My Research Question:
What traits, skills and relationships must a music agent have to generate the most success possible for their client?
What is a Music Agent?
A music agent works with artists to…
Schedule– concerts, tours, in-person appearances
Negotiate– fees, contracts, other monetary matters
Arrange– show set-ups, hospitality, logistics, promotional efforts
Some agents represent one single artist, while others are hired by large agencies and represent numerous artists.
My Model:
Cause (Mediating)…. Traits/Skills one must have
➡️ Building Relationships
Effect (Moderator)… Assisting clients in attaining their goals
I feel as though this model can be used in any leadership role.
Although I do not have much leadership experience in my personal life, as a leader of my basketball team, I try to use this model.
I do this by using my positive traits to build relationships with teammates, which can considerably help lead to good results.
Traits/Skills (Cause):
Traits:
Trustworthiness–
Artists are putting their money and career path into the hands of their agent
Without trust, an artist/agent relationship would be unsustainable, especially in times of adversity
Sacrificial-
Time away from family while on the road
Time spent dealing with complex negotiations and trying to build strong relationships with necessary personnel
Skills:
Understanding contracts
Decision-making
Good communicator
Relationships:
Client(s)– Large talent agencies usually attract the biggest stars; solo agents typically target up and coming talent
What if no relationship? You can’t be a music agent without a client.
Talent Buyers– Talent buyers reach out to agents to book artists at the venue they represent.
What if no relationship? Artist(s) would not be able to perform any live shows.
Concert Promoters– Create advertising for concerts, sets up the shows, provides transportation for artists, schedules hotels.
What if no relationship? Fans would not receive word about concerts—->substantially less fans in attendance.
Festival Managers– Setup large festivals, ensure police are present, create signage for guests, arrange food and beverage.
What if no relationship? Artist(s) would be limited to smaller venues which equates to less money available to be generated
Ticket Service Directors– Print and mail tickets to fans who have purchased them, diffuse escalated situations regarding show tickets, sell tickets at will call the day of the concert.
What if no relationship? Fans would not be given proper resources to access the artist’s concert.
Tour Operators– Getting artist safely to and from venues and hotels (cars, buses, planes), managing money coming in and going out, handling arrival and departure times.
What if no relationship? Issues regarding transportation would arise early and often.
Cultural Organizations– Run fundraisers or events to get across a desired message.
What if no relationship? Artists would not be able to make a positive impact on the community and would not gain as much popularity as one might be able to.
If a music agent does not maintain consistent communication with all of these people, his/her client will be put at a serious disadvantage in the industry and many problems will arise.
Similarly in my life with my experience in the Accounting field, I understand that each person you deal with deserve necessary attention or the relationship will fall through.
Effect (Moderator):
Best assisting your client(s) in reaching their goals
It is vital to understand as an agent that every client has a different end goal as an artist
Some artists want to fill big stadiums down the line, while others do it as a hobby and are not overly interested in live shows, but instead devote more time to studio work.
Maintaining constant and clear communication with your client(s) is the most important relationship of them all
A music agent cannot be successful if they do not consistently find ways to fulfill their clients needs and desires.
Primary Source
Thomas Ripsam
President and CEO of Martin Guitar & Co.
Emphasized the importance of truly understanding who you are working with (as a music agent)
My question to Thomas: Do music agents ever get involved in the business side of things regarding artists acquiring instruments?
His Response: Yes, instrument companies take a lot of time researching artists and their management team to “really understand who they are and what they like” in order to build a potential partnership.
Sun Tzu: Tzu’s war strategy persisted of extensive planning and strategy to defeat opposition as opposed to using brute force.
Both situations bode well for leaders who are willing to put the time in and truly understand their targets.
Potential Complications Music Agents May Face:
External Factors- Uncontrollable factors such as bad weather or a pandemic may derail an individual concert or numerous concerts for an extended period of time
Servant Leadership- In short, servant leaders prioritize serving the greater good by putting the needs of others before their own
Music agents devote their lives to serving the needs of their client(s), making it very difficult to control your own fate of your career trajectory.
Conclusion
In addition to the traits, skills, relationships, complex contracts, and much more an aspiring music agent must consider, you also need a little luck. Many successful agents jump started their careers at the most unexpected times, so it is always important to take advantage of an opportunity when one arises.
