Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 40

bearing the likes of The Tragically Hip,
Headstones, and Matthew Good, Breen
knows this industry better than most. He
is an advocate and mentor for those trying
to gain a foothold in the music business,
as evidenced by his regular contributions
to Canadian Music Week’s conference pro-
gramming.
In comparing different management
styles, Breen offers: “It’s not about the size
of the company; it’s about the individual.
It’s relationship-based. They could have
one act with great relationships and con-
tacts, or 20 acts. To me, it’s about belief,
commitment, and passion. It’s a personal
business. I don’t care if it’s a big or small
company, as long as someone shares the
artist’s vision, and cares as much as the
artist does.”
What to Expect from a
Manager
In the final scene of 1979’s The Muppet
Movie, Kermit the Frog and co. push their
way into the office of a large film executive,
explaining their desire to be rich and fa-
mous. After their pitch, the company presi-
dent, behind a large desk, instructs his sec-
retary to bring him the “standard rich and
famous contract for Kermit and his friends.”
I’m pretty sure Hollywood doesn’t work like
that, and I know the music business doesn’t
work like that (despite Justin Bieber’s ex-
perience to the contrary). So, as an artist,
you need to have some comprehension of
exactly what the manager will do for you.
A band starting a new relationship
with a manager will need to have a clear
understanding about one another’s duties
and obligations. There will of course be a
contract, read by lawyers on both sides,
about which Breen says, “Really, you want
to be able to discuss the contract, sign it,
then put it away and get busy.”
When asked what she would like
bands to know before signing with Tra-
verse Management, Nelson states that
communication is key. “You’re dating your
agent, but you’re married to your manager.
You need a good personality match in or-
der to work well together.”
It’s entirely possible that a manager
will be essentially working for free for at
least a year or so, until the band starts to
make some tangible money. Some artists
may need to be reminded of this to justify
the manager’s commission when the band
becomes a hit.
The artist needs to be aware that
managers work very hard. If they don’t take
commissions in the early days, they may
keep track of everything that was passed
over during the first year or so and bill the
band later, when the money starts coming
in (say, after an advance against royalties, or
at the close of a successful tour).
Every management contract will have
a trial period, usually six to 12 months,
Teresa Nelson of
Traverse Music
40 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
during which the two parties can have a
test-run of the relationship. As for what the
artist can expect in that time, Nelson tells
her bands: “So much of the work we do,
you don’t see the benefits for maybe a year
or two out, but it’s all cumulative – part
of a greater goal. Some musicians have a
hard time letting go because they’ve been
self-managed for so long; it just takes time
for them to start to relinquish some of that
control.”
This is why the manager needs to be
in the loop in order to do the job well. The
artists have to trust the manager. If they
question and undermine everything, the
relationship won’t be very effective.
There are many different professionals
that might support an artist’s career – the
agent, publicist, promoter, accountant,
and tour manager, to name a few. Until the
band’s income is high enough to justify hir-
ing all the players for the team, the work-
load falls to the manager and the artist to
look after everything.
“Dividing up the workload will de-
pend on what the artist’s skills are,” says
Nelson. “What are your graphic design
skills like? Are you good with social media
marketing? It’s important for the manager
to oversee the branding, the marketing, all
aspects of the career, and make sure that
everything is aligned with their goals.”
So does that mean a band can be a
co-manager, and pay the manager less?
Nelson feels that’s not viable. “That’s tricky,
because I’d still be doing the same job,
except with lower fees.” But the band still
has to help get things off the ground.
Regarding the artist’s initial develop-
ment expenses, Nelson says that we’re very
fortunate to be in Canada. “We have access
to a lot of grant funding bodies that you’re
able to apply to. We at Traverse don’t put
up any money for our artists, but we will
help you write the grant applications.”
Breen adds: “Every situation is differ-
ent; that’s the beauty of our business. You
hope an act is self-sufficient to a certain
level before an established management
company would take them on, but if that’s
not the case, some managers will front
some of their own capital, or go out and
find someone who will provide develop-
ment money: a publisher, a record label.
But hopefully they’ve built themselves up
at least as a live act to sustain themselves.
I’ll forego commissions, at least for a year
or two, because it’s going to take that long
before the act is making any serious mon-