We have something special in store for you this week. We joined a trio of music industry icons in their own right to discuss the importance of diversity in the industry and how you can emerge into the world as the insanely talented artist you are.
We spoke with none other than Dr Mathew Knowles, legendary music executive, Lashawna Ross Stewart, an A&R manager at Columbia Records and Arit Eminue, a diversity, equity and inclusion ambassador at BPI. Read on to hear how to grab opportunities, navigate race in the industry, seek a team as efficient as a well-oiled machine and, of course, advice that can take you all the way to the top of your career.
Advice you shouldn’t listen to
Every career in music starts with passion. As Dr Knowles instilled in our audience, passion will take you all the way and will help you to overcome the countless obstacles you’ll face along the way, regardless of your background.
Sometimes, the music industry can pressure you to be someone you’re not. Just like Lashawna, people will try to tell you who to act like and who to look like in order to progress in your career. But she ignored all of that and stayed true to herself and her passion for music, and look at her now.
As one of the few Black women in her company, Lashawna spoke about turning what could be seen as a barrier into an opportunity to showcase her unique perspective. Use your uniqueness in those situations as an advantage. It’s much more important to define yourself rather than let others impose labels on you.
Are you working hard enough?
One of the most essential things you need in this industry is resilience. Unfortunately, those who are underrepresented in the industry will need a little more. Arit spoke about how people constantly underestimated her and her peers at work because of their skin colour. But if she let that get to her, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
Don’t let ignorance stop you from achieving your dreams. Hard work always pays off and staying resilient to the ups and inevitable downs will keep you on the best path.
Take every opportunity you can
Becoming a music artist is essentially like becoming an entrepreneur, so you better start brushing up on those business skills. An entrepreneurial mindset is invaluable in this industry.
Whether you're an artist or working behind the scenes, being proactive and innovative can make a significant difference.
Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Don’t shy away from things because you think you’re not good enough or even because you haven’t seen someone who looks like you in that position before. Be a pioneer! Start the trend!
Be like Lashawna, who started her own magazine because she didn’t think enough people were talking about the rap and RnB scene. In the same way, you can start a side project, release your music independently or organise your own events. This not only demonstrates your drive and commitment but also gives you control over your career.
Being an entrepreneur means taking risks, and while not every venture will be successful, each one provides valuable lessons that will contribute to your growth as an artist.
They do what in America?!
As much as we Brits pride ourselves on our politeness, it’s not going to get you very far in this industry. That’s one of the (only) leaves we can take out of Americans' books—they go for what they want.
The Americans are relentless, with a "no sleep" mentality and an urgency to get things done. But over here, we’re a little more reserved in our approach. It’s no wonder the industry across the pond is leaps ahead of ours (but that’s also because, you know, a kajillion people live there).
Once you understand these differences, however, you can start to take advantage of them. Dr Knowles frequently travelled to Japan because the music scene was really taking off over there, and the same goes for Australia and Brazil, music hot zones if you will.
Obviously, you can’t exactly start hopping to all of these countries as a beginner artist or student, Lord knows you can barely afford dinner at this stage, but we have the internet now, so everything isn’t so out of reach as it used to be!
All you need is a strong team
For new artists, building a strong team is everything. According to pretty much the entire panel, the first team member you should look for is a manager. Managers will be the heads that keep everyone together and on the same path. A good team also includes agents to get you roles on TV and entertainment lawyers to make sure those contracts you’re signing give you the best deal.
If you wanted a catchy pneumonic to help you remember what makes a good team, Arit had a fantastic one: DIVA. Developers, those who will share your vision; influencers, those who can get you in front of the right doors by talking to the right people; Visionaries, the ones who have walked the path you want to follow and finally, Advocates, those who will put their brands on the line for you because they believe in you so much.
So get yourself a team of divas!
If you haven’t clicked the link above to watch the full panel discussion, we highly recommend it. And if you’re sad that you missed out on this talk, don’t worry; there will be one just as good next week and the week after that. Check out our events page here so you don't miss the next one!
