CAREER DEVELOPMENT
An A&R representative oversees the division of the label that is responsible for finding promising new artists for the record label or publisher to sign as well as the creative and commercial development of artists already signed. Their duties include listening to demos, aligning artists with the right producer, and offering creative input. For those unsigned, A&R can be the gatekeepers to the industry and are a point of contact at during contract negotiations. The main responsibilities of an artists and repertoire representative is finding new and established talent, overseeing the recording process and assisting marketing and promotion through helping pick songs to be recorded and future singles and also basic promotion for album releases. An example of a prominent A&R representative is Ziggy Chareton- Senior Vice President and Head of A&R for Island Records.
- The pathway to becoming an A&R rep-
In order to attend the university of my choice for this course -BIMM- I must achieve above 64 UCAS points, or BTEC Level 3 equivalent, and three GCSEs at a minimum grade C/4, including English Language. If I achieve these grades and am eligible to be on this course, I must consider other aspects such as finance, accommodation and other necessities. I must also ensure I am prepared to pass any auditions needed to get onto the course and ensure that I am confident in my ability.
Year One, the start of university:
In the September after my college education is over, I hope to pursue my career in A&R at BIMM- The British & Irish Institute of Modern Music to study Music, Marketing and Media Communications of which is a BA (Hons). This is more suitable than a conservatoire because I do not take A-level music and am less interested in the performance aspect of the music industry. This course would give me knowledge in business ethics and music law, marketing & PR and creative identity among other modules. This course will also offer industry engagement and will therefore allow for professional development and the foundation I need before I start my career. As the campus is in London – a good places for live music- I will be able to attend gigs and open mic nights which will allow me to gage what I would look for as an A&R rep when searching for talent to sign.
Year Three, end of university:
By my third year of University, I would hope to have developed my professionalism to allow me to enter the music industry. At this point, I will be close to the end of my education and should begin looking for a jobs and internships in my chosen field. Through specialist workshops that would have been offered throughout my final module. I will be informed enough to be able to use my portfolio to showcase my personal and professional journey to that moment. This portfolio will be able to communicate my professional identity and how I’m different from other promising A&R students, in addition to my future career plans. I would hope at this point that I would have developed other skills, such as events planning and digital marketing. At this point in my life I should also have my driving license which will allow me to travel to gigs and networking events. At this point in time I should also have an internship in order to bring in a steady income and gain experience as I build my career. An example of an internship in my chosen career path is paid A&R Coordination at Def Jam Recordings which involves liaising with A&R admin to book studios and work together on album delivery, manage calendars, meeting requests, and processing travel and expenses plus involvement in the creative process and day to day communication with artist management and pitch various artists (across multiple genres) to creative executives.
Year Five, employment:
At the end of university and my internship, I am hoping to have worked up the roster towards a permanent/long term position within the A&R sector in the music industry either at the company of my internship or somewhere different such as the UK bases for Island and Sony music. At this point I am hoping to have brought in a few clients and hopefully have a name for myself within the industry and be working towards promotions and opportunities to further my career and gain the most experience possible. Networking on sites such as LinkedIn might also help my career as I can establish my expertise and network with others in my industry.
- The pathway to becoming a singer-songwriter-
https://www.city-academy.com/songwriting/
Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to a performer who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies, often providing the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song. An example of a popular singer-songwriter is Julia Michaels, who started her career at 14-years-old through networking and writing for television shows before being enlisted to write for artists such as Fifth Harmony and Ed Sheeran before starting her own career in 2017 through the release of her own song ‘Issues’.
Alternatively, if I weren’t to attend university, in the year after college, I would work towards my individual music development and a career in songwriting by attending courses to improve my craft as well as looking for gigs, open mic nights and overall work in the industry to develop my skills, build a repertoire and establishing my name in the industry. As I will not be attending university, most work towards building connections etc., would be done on my own., meaning most career development would be independent. In order to support myself while I pursue my career, I would assure that I have my Grade 8 vocals, so that I can teach part time to earn an income. I would also join the PRS and MU as if I’m planning to write and release music or write and produce for other artists, this will help to protect my creativity.
A short course somewhere such as City Academy will help me immensely as it will cover a range technique such as lyricism and song structure and the industry in general. This would give me insight into what works and how to improve my writing, the showcase at the end of the course could also help my confidence in performing and sharing my work with others. The music production aspect of this course will also aid in my musical development as skills from varying parts of the industry can make me more marketable. In addition to this I would also better my Steel Pan skills through joining an orchestra such as Nostalgia Steel Band or the Caribbean Band London.
Year Three, the start of apprenticeship or establishment in career
After three years, I would hope to have established or built a foundation in my career. At this point I am hoping to have built a small fanbase on social media and would have been working part time and attending open mics and gigs for the years before, in order to establish myself on the scene. In addition to this, I am hoping to have created my own home studio in order to record my own music and release music to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music for it to be accessible to the public and for use in the mainstream. As well as this I would also take to apps such as LinkedIn and Facebook to establish myself as a performer and therefore play at weddings and other functions to generate an income and gain exposure. Music related apprenticeships could also be useful and can help make me a versatile candidate for future companies in the industry.
Trade Fairs
Trade fairs are important to consider in my career, and are important to attend, as if I have saved, I can invest in some high-end equipment as trade fairs are used to exhibit and promote products and services from big-name companies, these fairs allow for musicians to get equipment, and also discover further opportunities and areas of the industry, through meeting with other professionals. Networking may not be as relevant to me in the first or third year of my career, however by year 5, I should have enough of a portfolio to able to attend sessions offered in trade fairs such as BBC Introducing.
Year Five, employment and establishment
Having freelanced for 5-years, by this time I am hoping to be an established member of this industry sector. I would hope at this point to be able to charge more for vocal lessons and performances but also to have self-released an EP or Album due to being a more well-known musician. If having found a company to work for as a songwriter in year 3, at this point in my career I would have also hoped to have gained enough experience to be able to charge more for songs written.
To conclude, as an A&R representative it would be better for me to go to university in order to get the support needed from industry professionals and the insider knowledge needed to start my career, as university will allow me to develop my skills more efficiently and make better connections as it may be difficult to break into the industry without a portfolio. As a songwriter the no-university route may be better than attending school to learn how to write as it allows me more creative freedom, however it may be more difficult to find opportunities to shadow others in the industry sector I’m interested and find places to perform than if I was at a school where I had the assistance to find them.
Aaliyah Claxton Freelance Blog 