I entered the music industry to change it, not to be part of the status quo.
I started by producing my own music and running my own record label.
I had no intention to fit in. To me, to the day, that’s how the music industry is supposed to be. We’re supposed to be society’s outliers.
The music industry can seem like it’s become a sterile, systemised post-silicon valley LinkedIn post meme generator, but the excitement of music and art is still there in pockets of the internet and the odd pub that’s managed to stay open despite all effort to remove any fun. There are still ways to stir up crowds without having to numb them with dopamine-injected manipulation – proverbial heroin.
The world has changed since I became interested in this industry. This isn’t one of those “there are ebbs and flows” generations. I look around me and I see the rubble of the music tech industry that was growing 10 years ago. I see killer robots in suits coming to clean up. Humanoid cylon smiles and validating language, persuading people to come join them in their reduced-worker-rights investment-first dystopia.
I learnt sales to test how well I could determine my own future by selling something. Eventually I learnt that selling things didn’t actually give me any real security. Security is a complicated mindset, one I’m still working on. But I have learnt that nothing you can spend money on can provide it.
I needed to derive meaning from something bigger than just being good at business development in the music industry.
I grew up. I grew morals, integrity. I decided I didn’t want to sell things I didn’t believe in. I tried to stay focused on what is “real”.
I stopped selling. Even my “personal brand”. I’ve known that I should be using more language that portrays me as hireable and open for business, but as I write my book I’ve had to think about music industry problems in a higher-level, more abstract way.
And we’re in an age of denial. We need more companies to adopt Patagonia-like stances. Seeing lies or ignorance of repercussions of new technology, or ignoring old problems that still need solving before we look at progress, is a hurdle for me being able to fully commit to a lot of job opportunities.
I know all the rules of B2B and B2C sales. I know solution selling, business intelligence, market analysis, product development and everything needed to make sure a music business is successful. But I’m not playing that game if it involves lying. It’s hard not to lie in sales these days. On LinkedIn, I see so many damn lies. I even see people encouraging people to lie as if it’s the right thing to do!
I needed a break. I wanted to do things in the real world. I learnt about plants. I’m still learning about plants. I always will be.
But I never stopped working on my mission in music. I’m still the same fierce, focused young buck who’d get a 2-hour 5am train into London in a suit to have meetings with established music execs, proposing exciting business development plans and consultancy. I’m still so inspired by developing businesses and products. I just want the music industry to remember that it’s supposed to be about that passion for art and artists, and I’ve not seen that so much for a while. Especially with the rise of AI, the music industry doesn’t seem to be talking about the excitement surrounding art so much anymore, which just seems crazy to me!
So now, I’ve got some battle wounds. I’ve got waves of dark smoke, scattered corpses, arrows in the ground and crows pecking, in front of my vision.
But I still run my hands through the proverbial wheat in the field. I still get extremely excited when I’m working on a project with an artist, or with a growing record label. Here is where I find the real meaning. Being back in the realms of creativity.
I want to be in the music industry, I even want to be passionate about business and entrepreneurship the way I used to be! But I will also keep fighting to make that industry support the passion and excitement music should bring.
So, I’m currently seeking a remote (preferably permanent) music industry role 4 days a week (minimum 16 hours), whilst I finish my horticulture course on a Friday until June 2025. My long-term goal is to work in the music industry 4 days per week, and garden for 1. Please read my about me to see my experience and how I can be one of the most passionate, hard-working people on your team working with you towards solving complex problems and meeting tough goals!
I look forward to representing a company again that shares my passion for music.