MUSIC PUBLISHING
President • Vice President • General Manager (independent Or Smaller Music Publisher)
JOB OVERVIEW
The executive officer oversees the day-to-day operations of the company by managing the creative and administrative personnel, staff songwriters, and the acquisition and exploitation of catalog. Major Bob president, Lana Thrasher, supervises the administrative and creative staff (which includes songwriters), the exploitation of catalog, and is also heavily involved in the production of song and artist demo recordings. Thrasher interfaces with subpublishers around the globe as well as her independent song pluggers. She looks for artist/writers, producer/writers, and songwriters to sign, and also negotiates contracts. She also oversees Major Bob Productions, a company set up to develop, produce, and secure recording deals for artists.
CAREER TIPS
Watch and learn from those around you. Be patient, work hard, and be willing to do whatever task is given to you with a good attitude.
“Don't be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up.” Too many people think they are going to see success overnight, and, when they don't, they give up. It takes time to make contacts and build your reputation.
PREREQUISITES
To succeed on the executive level, you should have an understanding of both copyright administration and the creative affairs side of music publishing. You should have solid contacts within the music industry and the ability to recognize great songs. Studio production experience and strong people skills are necessary. You should be self-motivated and have a willingness to perform whatever tasks are needed to get a job done.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
A typical day for Thrasher begins with appointments to play songs for artists, producers, and A&R people; to meet with her staff, or to listen to new songs by one of her writers, or a writer looking for a deal. Then, she may run over to a recording studio to hear and approve the mix of demos from the previous day. Throughout the day there are phone calls to take and return, budgets and bills to sign off on, and pending deals to negotiate or approve.
LANA THRASHER, PRESIDENT, MAJOR BOB MUSIC CO., INC.
“I have always loved music,” states Lana Thrasher. A southern California native, she grew up going to clubs with her parents, where her mother pursued the dream of being a singer. Thrasher majored in business and minored in music at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), with the intent of becoming an attorney. While in school, she took a part-time job at Kenny Rogers Productions' Lion Share Publishing Company, but it was the recording studio upstairs that changed the direction of Thrasher's life.
During the two years that she swept floors, photocopied, typed, and did whatever was needed, she got to peek into the studio and watch Quincy Jones produce. “I was attracted to the studio and I started ditching school to be there. I worked and learned and just watched Quincy Jones and absorbed everything that was going on. That is when I decided this is what I'm going to do when I grow up.” Through meeting Jones, Thrasher earned an opportunity to work as a runner at A&M Studios during the making of the “We Are The World” project.
THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“When you sign a truly good writer or truly great artist, you put time and money into working with them and you become like family. When it doesn't work, when you don't know how to make money with them (can't get their songs cut or secure a record deal) and you have to let them go, that's hard.”
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“I love taking somebody's lyrics and music into the recording studio and producing the song—hearing it come alive. That is very exciting. Working in the recording studio is my favorite part of my job.”
At the invitation of a friend, she traveled to Nashville in 1988, fell in love with the city, and decided to relocate. The following summer, she arrived with a Volkswagen Bug and $68. “That was all I had. I was pitiful.” Soon after her arrival in Music City, Charlie Monk offered Thrasher an internship at Opryland Music Group. To supplement her income, she worked as a roving musician at Opryland and performed aboard the General Jackson Showboat, where she was able to eat for free. When Monk's friend Bob Doyle was about to open a new publishing company, he recognized Thrasher would have more opportunity to grow with the new firm and recommended her for a job. “They were this little company that had just signed Garth Brooks, but he didn't even have a record deal yet. Bob said, ‘I can't pay you anything, but I'll give you a key.’ I was so excited—I had my own key! They bought my lunch and I started making tape copies and typing lyrics.” At times, Thrasher was so broke she bummed quarters from friends and co-workers and used them for gas money.
As the publishing company grew and achieved some success, Thrasher was given a paid position. She learned the business of publishing from the ground up, from intern to secretarial and administrative duties, to all aspects of the creative process. In 1995, Thrasher was promoted to president of Major Bob Music and later assumed management of Major Bob Productions. Honing her production skills on song demo recordings and working with developing artists, Thrasher has added record producer to her resume. She has produced albums for Curb Records and has two other projects in the wings. www.majorbob.com
Additional topics
- MUSIC PUBLISHING - Creative Services: Vice President/general Manager Of Creative Services • General Manager Of Music Publishing (major Music Publisher)
- MUSIC PUBLISHING - Executive Office: Chief Executive Officer • President • Vice President/general Manager (major Music Publisher)
Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and ProfilesCareers in the Music BusinessMUSIC PUBLISHING - Executive Office: Chief Executive Officer • President • Vice President/general Manager (major Music Publisher)