Canadian Musician - March/April 2021 | Page 62

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How Does One Get Six Brand Endorsements Before Their 15 th Birthday ?

Matteo Vena is the prodigious teenage drummer with the Canadian rock and roll band Chance of Reign . He began drumming when he was eight-years-old and now , at just 15 , he has six brand endorsements , the first of which he ’ s had since he was only 11 . Curious as to how he became one of the youngest artists in the country to have multiple brand endorsements , Canadian Musician caught up with Matteo and his father / manager , Marcello Vena , to discuss how these deals work .

CM : Your first endorsement was with William Ludwig III and his company , WFLIII Drums . Can you recall how that came about ?
Matteo : So , I went into a drumming store and they happened to have him there as a guest to show off his product and sell it . We just happened to walk in when he was there . He had all his snare drums lined up and had a few drums there . We met some of the other endorsers who were there and we talked with Bill for a while and he just goes , “ Matteo , why don ’ t you give the drum a shot ?” So , I did this drum rudiment called a buzz roll – I did it pretty quickly and they all clapped [ laughs ]. I think he maybe just saw something in that ?
After that day , I did talk to Bill quite a few times about the product and equipment and we talked a lot about drumming . I think he saw that there was a lot of passion for drumming in me . But I think my dad took care of most of that stuff .
Marcello : That was the introduction , but it truly was many more months of Mr . Ludwig following his growth and his noticeable passion . Then he invited us to go to Chicago , and I said that I could go but Matteo is in school . He flew me into Chicago and met me for dinner . I really didn ’ t know what it was all about , and to be honest I didn ’ t know what an endorsement was and I thought , “ Well , why my son ? I ’ m sure there ’ s tons of kids who are virtuosos .” But he said that Matteo is not a weekend warrior and he could tell that it ’ s embedded in him and he ’ s also got a great look that they wanted as an ambassador . I said “ cool ” and I signed and flew back that same night .
CM : You have six endorsements right now at only 15-years-old . How did it grow to so many ?
Marcello : Yeah , Bill came first and then from there Los Cabos Drumsticks came second , I would say , six or seven months after WFIII . I realized it takes one person to give you that first shot and once that happens , you ’ ve got a résumé going . Especially with a name like Bill Ludwig , who is truly rock and roll or drum royalty … when he puts his stamp on a young 12-year-old , people came running and we were offered Los Cabos Drumsticks .
I should mention , you know , that drums last a long time , so an endorsement for a drum company is cool , but the chances of replacing that kit may be one every four years . But things that are wear and tear items , like drum sticks and cymbals , those endorsements go a long way because they do break and shatter , sometimes monthly .
So , it was Los Cabos and then after them came Attack Drumheads , then from there came Trick Drums pedals . The relationship with Trick is interesting , because WFIII aluminum snares are made by Trick Drums USA . So , Trick noticed Matteo through Bill Ludwig and Trick makes the best heavy metal-style drum pedals …
After Trick he got a jewelry endorsement by Full Circle , who recycles broken drum cymbals and makes metallic bracelets and necklaces . Lastly , and it just became official , is Soultone Cymbals . We actually spent all of last night posting on social media that he ’ s with Soultone Cymbals .
CM : What have you learned about what endorsements entail and what benefits it brings you ?
Matteo : Endorsements are definitely a lot of work . I find a lot of young musicians think it ’ s just about a bunch of free stuff and like , “ Oh , I ’ m going to get a free guitar ” or a signature cymbal or whatever , but that ’ s not the case at all . To get that , you have to be at a Neil Peart level .
For me , it basically means that a company is going to take you in and you ’ re going to represent the company and they ’ re going to represent you and you support each other . So , you ’ ve got to keep an active social media , and it ’ s even better if you ’ re in a touring band . You have to have a lot of stuff out there . People need to know you and see you and recognize you .
Marcello : It ’ s worth adding that with endorsements , keeping them is way harder than getting them . He has got to keep up with the standards in the contracts , like posting a certain number of times on social media , and continuing to record and tour , etc .
CM : How unique is each endorsement in terms of the relationship and obligations you have with the company ?
Marcello : I discovered that every brand works differently . To generalize , sometimes they have a three-tiered system and sometimes you ’ ll start at the very top if you ’ re a premier touring drummer that ’ s recognized . You ’ d get tier one , and sometimes – though rarely – they pay you ! There ’ s probably only a handful of those deals . Second tier would be where you don ’ t pay for your equipment – you get it for free . And third tier , which is where Matteo is , is a junior entry level . That ’ s where they say , “ You ’ re an ambassador to our brand and we do the same thing – we ’ re in a reciprocal marriage . So , you need to use our equipment and never be seen not using our equipment .” Because of that , you get to purchase directly from the company at a sometimes very ridiculous price , which is like 50 % off or below dealer cost .
Matteo Vena is a Brampton , ON-based drummer with the band Chance of Reign . At only 15-years-old , he is proudly endorsed by WFLIII Drums , Los Cabos Drumsticks , Attack Drumheads , Soultone Cymbals , Trick Drums USA ( pedals ), and Full Circle Company .
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