How to Pick the Right Manager For Your Music Career

How to Pick the Right Manager For Your Music Career
by Bobby Borg
Nov 10, 2003, 00:02
©2003 Bobby Borg ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

IN THE CLASSIC CONCERT FILM The Song Remains The Same, there’s a famous scene where Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant, a 270 pound former wrestler from East London, is backstage screaming at one of the promoters at Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, the promoter is backed in a corner and shaking in his boots! Many artists may think that an intimidating personal manager is exactly what they need. But Jeffrey Jampol, who has managed artists such as Tal Bachman says, “The days of the Peter Grants in this business are over.” People in the music industry prefer to do business with nice guys.

A manager must be able to nurture and maintain numerous relationships while at the same time standing firm, being sensible, and demonstrating a strong knowledge of the business. (It’s a fine balance between ticking people off and not being a push-over.) If a manager walks into the record label and starts pounding desks, insisting that things get done his way, HE’S BOUND TO GET ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE!

So what are the most important qualities to look for in a manager? In addition to being powerful, well-connected, a good negotiator, enthusiastic, committed, and accessible, a good manager should be one who over-all inspires your TRUST AND RESPECT.

Trust
Trustworthiness is an incredibly important attribute to look for in a manager. Think about it, you’ve worked for so many years learning how to play your instrument and write your songs, and your band has been rehearsing and promoting its shows for years—AND NOW YOU’RE GOING TO TURN OVER A GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY TO SOMEONE YOU BARELY KNOW! Sounds scary doesn’t it? Trust must be earned over time, but if a manager doesn’t at least show an initial caring, enthusiasm, and commitment for your dreams and passions, you may not have the right guy. Is your manager just interested in making a quick buck off of you—or perhaps just interested in having a romantic relationship? Seriously! You really need to follow your gut instinct on both these issues from day one.

I remember one very famous manager firmly saying to a group that he didn’t need to like or be passionate about their music in order to do business with them. Sounds rather insensitive, but because of his power and clout, the band decided to go ahead and work with him. As it turns out, the relationship ended in disaster. The band drove all the way across country in a van to perform a showcase, and the manager didn’t even show up—nor did any industry people! True story. Coincidently, after that, the manager didn’t even return the band’s phone calls. Nice! Perhaps he realized there was no quick buck to be made from the relationship? Who knows?

In similar situations, so many bands are promised that there’s a big tour or record contract right around the corner and that the labels are ready to ink the deal. One or two years later, the band is still playing the same dive clubs and are unsigned.

A manager can’t lie to his artists as some ploy to keep them under control, feel powerful, or to perhaps manipulate into a romantic relationship. Again, an initial feeling of genuine caring, enthusiasm, commitment, and over all trust is a major quality to look for in a personal manager. Without these traits, no matter how powerful and well connected the manager may be, you may end up with nothing more than a lot of broken promises.


Respect
A manager must also be someone that you can respect. We’re not just talking about the number of successful bands this individual has managed or how many gold and platinum records he has on the wall, we’re talking about morality and ethics. What does your manager really stand for? Is he/she well educated? Well groomed? Does he show a genuine loyalty to other business partners and associates? Does he show an interest in win-win relationships in other business ventures? Is he family-oriented? Does he do anything to give back to the community? Or is your manager all about making money and flash—big houses, expensive cars, and arm-piece girl friends at any expense? Is he a spoiled rich-kid or businessman who got into management to fulfill some show-biz fantasy? Is he a former drug dealer or dubious business person? Does he hang out and party twice as hard as you? Is he a bully? Hey, I’m not making these examples up! Surely, it’s not like you’re an angel looking for a saint, but overall a manager must maintain a level of authority and respect and perhaps even be somewhat of a father figure to you. Many bands, not that they’ll always admit it, want someone they know they can look up to and feel protected by. They want both someone who’s going to take them under their wing and keep everything under control—a super hero who can do no wrong, and someone who knows how to be down to earth and admit that they don’t have an answer to a particular situation.

Of course, you may initially be impressed with someone who makes a lot of noise, blows a lot of smoke, wines and dines you, and flexes a lot of muscle—but are you really going to trust your whole career to guy like this?

A manager must be secure, grounded, firm, confident, educated, and well respected—far above all the bells and whistles and shallow surface stuff discussed above. Without these positive and respectful attributes, your only building a relationship in a personal manager that is doomed to eventually fail!


Keep that in mind as you pursue your dreams.

--Bobby

The Musician's Handbook
If you found these music 'biz tips by Bobby helpful, you will love his book, "The Musician's Handbook", filled with hundreds of real-world examples and strategies (not found in his columns) that a band can use to survive and prosper in the music business. Every musician, regardless of their skill level, should have this book! BUY IT NOW at Getsigned.com

About the author

Bobby Borg is the author of “The Musician’s Handbook: A Practical Guide To Understanding The Music Business,” published by Billboard Books. A graduate of the world-famous Berklee College of Music, Bobby has more than 25 years of music business experience. Borg is a composer, artist, and performer and has performed extensively throughout the United States, Japan and Europe with a variety of artists ranging from pop to R & B to rock. He was part of the major label rock group Beggars Thieves (1991-Atlantic Records), Warrant (1996/1997-BMG/CMC Records), and his own group, Left For Dead (1997-Alpha Music), which Borg managed and licensed in the U.S. and Japan. With these groups, Borg has worked alongside some of the world's best personal managers, attorneys, producers and agents in the music 'biz. The author of six instructional method books, he lives in Los Angeles.