Unraveling the Music Industry
Simply put, we think it’s a confusing time to be an artist, most specifically as a woman or non-binary artist within roots music spaces. We want to make it all less of an enigma. We’ve gathered industry experts ranging from managers and publicists to journalists, editors, radio promoters and community facilitators to spell things out for artists trying to figure out what’s next.
How will it work?
We’re creating a five-week workshop to demystify the music industry, build artist community and connect artists with insight from industry experts and other artists themselves. There isn’t one right way to do any of this, no actual blueprint for success, so each week will aim to present different viewpoints.
Each week, music industry veterans will share their expertise based on topics you and we think deserve a little decoding. None of this should be an enigma. Ultimately, we want to hear from you about your questions, but some areas we think are beneficial:
When and how do you build the right team?
What do you need to have in place before releasing a new project? And how to use what others wish they knew so you don’t make their mistakes.
Touring and not going broke.
Utilizing your community: building spaces where art flourishes and artists work together.
Creating a narrative and determining how your story stays true to you while evolving over time.
Crafting imagery & identity: how does branding play into all of this, and how do you pick the parts that matter to you?
Streaming: how to use it as a tool while not letting it define who you are (or how you feel about your career).
Budgeting for it all.
Each cohort of artists will remain small. We want to put artists together who may not necessarily know one another. It’s a benefit to know people in other places, both geographically and within their careers, and beautiful to find connection where you might not expect it.
Who are we?
Annie Bartholomew is a radio producer and musician from Juneau, Alaska. She has worked as an Arts & Culture reporter at KTOO and served as Program Director at the 24-hour public radio music station KXLL 100.7 FM. Annie has interned at NPR Music's All Songs Considered podcast and helped as a production assistant at the Tiny Desk.
Sarah Frost is a publicist and poet originally from Texas, now based in Juneau, Alaska, via Nashville, then New York. She owns SJF PR and is dedicated to telling stories that resonate, connecting artists with outlets including the Today Show, NPR, Rolling Stone, and a range of others.