ANNA RUSSELL
founder of AR Artist Management, AR Vocal Agency & AR Initiative
GIVE US HER Top 7 Tips for Breaking Into the Music Industry
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HARD WORK
Is what it’s all about. That’s the single most important piece of advice I would give to
anyone aspiring to make a living in music. Consistent hard work will take you further than
anything else, and talent and ability are somewhat redundant without it.
D A Y D R E A M I N G I S TH E F I R S T S T E P TO G O A L S E TT I N G
Anna Russell. Photograph courtesy of AR Agency.
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Whatever you dream about is often a good indication of what it is you want to experience
and achieve in life. I knew from an early age that I wanted to work in the commercial
music industry as an Artist Manager (though I had no idea that’s what it was called at the
time!) This means that before I knew how to achieve it I was already focused on where I
wanted to get to, so it’s not just coincidence that I’ve ended up doing exactly that.
B E B OTH C L E A R A N D HO N E S T O N W H A T Y O U R G O A L S A R E
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Once you know what your goals are make sure you are being honest about these, not just
to yourself but to others as well. I am often told by aspiring artists that they simply want
to play music and write songs, when what they mean is that they want to play to sold out
arenas across the world and write best-selling songs. The problem is that we often get what
we ask for so make sure you are speaking honestly about what you want – it doesn’t matter
what other people’s reactions are. Write your goals down, set yourself a timeline to achieve
these in and then work consistently towards these – often you reach your goals quicker
than you expect.
FOLLO W Y O U R P A S S I O N
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What are your reasons for wanting to work in music? What areas of music and business
are you most passionate about? Which styles of music do you enjoy most? Whatever it
is that excites you about music should be where you are trying to position yourself. This
means that even in the inevitable tough times, you will always be fortunate in working with
what you love plus have a constant reminder of what you are striving for. I have always
had a real love of singing and a natural affinity with voices, which I think gives me a really
good ear for vocals now (hence the AR Vocal Agency). And as a manager I am hugely
proud to manage artists whom I think are the best voices out there – I stand by that!
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I know that from the outside the music industry can appear to be a closed shop; that there
must be some secret to getting ‘in’. But there’s not – everyone’s stories on how they ended
up working in music and their paths to success vary wildly.
G E T O U T TH E R E A N D D O I T
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K N O W Y O U R S T R E N G HT S
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TH E R E I S N O S E C R E T
The only way of moving forward is doing exactly that, taking consistent steps towards
your goals no matter how small. No one else is going to do it for you. The music industry
will never stop needing innovative ideas and fresh energy and there has never been a better time for young people in music than now in my opinion.
There will always be people out there whom you consider to be more talented, more
intelligent or better connected than you, whether you are 19 or 90. But you own skill set,
experiences and personality are entirely unique to you, which makes what you have to
offer also entirely unique and of value. Focus on identifying your strengths, combine these
with your passions, and your niche should become clear to you. There is a place for you in
the music industry if you really want to be here.
W W W. A R - M A N A G E M E N T. C O M
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Written by Anna Russell
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