If you ’ re interested in a certain college or university , check out an open house , where you can meet the instructors , ask questions about the curriculum , or talk to a financial officer .
Jen McKerral of Cultural Industries Northern Ontario
requesting advice from over just firing off a cold email – though sometimes that works !
Maybe you go to a professional mixer and hit it off with a publicist or marketing coordinator and exchange contact info ? Maybe you approach a fellow musician in the same genre who has toured more extensively than you before a show ? “ Some of the most valuable resources an artist can have is to go to the older artists who can help them avoid making new mistakes ,” says McKerral . These people could also have connections , ideas , and recommendations that you haven ’ t considered .
That said , you must have goals in place . “ Know where it is you want to go ,” says McKerral , who mentors artists as part of her position . “ My job is to help you figure out how to get there but you should never rely on someone to set goals for you . You need to know your own capacity to carry a project out .” Mentorship can take place in person , over Skype , via email , text … You ’ re not bound by location . “ Even though they ’ re in a different city , they can be connected and create long lasting relationships ,” says McKerral .
She especially sees the value in bringing mentorship and educational opportunities to artists in remote parts of Canada who can be isolated from what ’ s going on . “ The biggest challenge is the distance from the industry ,” says McKerral . “ That ’ s why we bring people from the industry to northern communities to have that face-to-face contact , “ she says of the industry events she programs . “ We demystify it .”
Internships Working with interns for the last few years in various roles , I can attest to the value and difficulty in selecting the right internship . “ It seems very daunting and scary , [ but ] I would always suggest people find an internship first ,” says Hand over jumping into a college career program .
When it comes to research , make sure you like the artists a company represents or the services it provides , and how they conduct themselves both online and in person . Take time to research company values and culture .
When seeking an internship , don ’ t limit yourself to just labels or large management companies . They get lots of requests and some only take students from certain schools . Do some online research about other organizations that are related to your interests . If a company website doesn ’ t say anything about internships , ask anyways . The worst they can say is no !
Questions like : ‘ What are the expectations ?’ or ‘ What will my role be ?’ are key . Be clear about what it is you ’ re interested in learning about . Sometimes , internships are specific to topics like marketing , graphic design , or event support ; others , they ’ re more general in nature . Are there opportunities to shadow other team members ? Have past interns been hired after successful internships ?
When you do get an internship , don ’ t be above getting people coffee or answering phones . Just being in an environment you ’ re interested in can be more educational than years in school .
Hand himself is an example of an internship success . “ The most valuable part of Durham for me was in getting [ an ] internship at Underground Operations .” His internship turned into a full-time job with the label , working with artists like Protest the Hero , Lights , and Abandon All Ships .
Music Conferences & Seminars Put simply , conferences are meant for artists and industry members of all levels to learn together with organizers bringing in keynote speakers or experts to help your career growth . Dedicate time to researching the speakers and conference topics to determine which ones are most relevant to your pre-established goals , like finding a booking agent or getting better distribution .
Again , for a thorough look at music conferences and how to take full advantage of the opportunities they offer , check out the March / April 2017 issue of Canadian Musician .
Regardless of where you ’ re at in your career as an artist or music industry professional , ongoing education is vital to achieving , maintaining , and growing your success , so seek out what interests you and don ’ t get disheartened if you don ’ t reach your goals immediately . Passion for music should be life-long , as should your journey of knowledge .
Samantha Everts-Matusoff is a Toronto-based artist consultant and grant writer at YouRockRed with over 10 years of music industry experience . Her proven skills in artist development services have led her to speak at a variety of conferences and festivals , including Iceland Airwaves and Canadian Music Week . She also teaches artist management at Trebas Institute and is the funding coordinator at Coalition Music . For more info , visit : www . yourockred . com .
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