RECORD COMPANY
Senior Vice President International A&r • Director International A&r
JOB DESCRIPTION
The purpose of the A&R department is to find and develop new talent. The specific role of the international A&R department is to scour the world for artists who have the potential to break in America and secure rights to release their music in the United States. Some artists may come from the label's foreign affiliates, while others may be signed to another label group and not have a deal in place for America. International A&R is also involved in adapting the artist's material to fit the market. For instance, the first ‘N Sync record had four songs recorded that do not appear on the European release, to make it more appropriate for the American market.
CAREER TIPS
“I've been in the music business for 26 years and I still love it like I did in the beginning. You've got to have a love and passion for it to be successful.”
“Trust your gut to make decisions for you. Pay attention and seriously consider the messages your gut is telling you.”
PREREQUISITES
To succeed, you must have the ability to recognize and develop international artists who have the potential to achieve success in the American market.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
For Dave Novik, the day begins with telephone calls to overseas markets to discuss new signings and discover leads on talent of interest to him. “I'm constantly getting e-mail from new artists offering music, sometimes sending an MP3 file of songs so that I can download and listen.” He may attend a meeting about the marketing campaign for an artist to ensure the project is set up correctly. Throughout the day he listens to as much music as possible. He attends concerts and showcases for bands both locally and out of town. Daily he meets with managers, publishers, lawyers, and others wanting to talk about their artists. Mornings, before he arrives at the office, and weekends, are devoted to listening to the overwhelming amount of music he receives on a daily basis.
POINTERS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
“International A&R is not a job that you can train for, so you have to find your way into the organization somehow. Become an assistant. Become a college intern. There are programs offered in many colleges and universities around the country that have music business courses. Start out by getting some kind of training and understanding of the business. Then, it's starting at the bottom and building yourself up in an organization.”
DAVID NOVIK, FORMER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL A&R, RCA RECORDS; SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT A&R, UNIVERSAL CLASSICS GROUP
THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“I hate cigarette smoke [in clubs]. I have asthma and I don't like my clothes to smell. I hate that I don't have enough time in the day, or night, to listen to music. That's probably the biggest problem that I have as an A&R person: trying to find the time to listen to music.”
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“I love hearing a song, or an artist, or a vocal performance that sends shivers up my spine. It doesn't happen too often but when it does, it is amazing. The feeling of finding something special, seeing it as a finished record presented to the market, and then ultimately working—that is an exciting moment. Seeing the response from radio or, more importantly, the public who go out and buy it. Seeing a great first week in Sound Scan. Those things make me feel great.”
When it became apparent that he would never learn to play the guitar, London teenager David Novik transferred his love of music to working as a deejay at the local youth club. Within a few years, he was entertaining at parties with a mobile sound system, all the while learning everything he could about the bands, producers, and record labels that generated the music he played. A 1974 interview at newly opened Virgin Records failed to produce a job offer, but the interviewer helped Novik get another interview at Magnet Records that resulted in an offer. Hired initially as a messenger/office boy, he was promoted through the ranks to A&R talent scout.
After eight years at Magnet, Novik joined CBS Records in 1982, and worked with artists such as Paul Young and Psychedelic Furs. A couple of years later he was offered a position with CBS International in New York. “I jumped at the chance because I had never been to America. I loved American music and wanted to be part of that scene.” In New York, he worked with such acts as Men at Work and Nina Hagen, and when given the opportunity to expand into international territories, he learned that some of them needed A&R help. Acting on this information, he secured an interview with the head of the Australian office, and ended up being hired as the head of A&R for CBS Australia in 1985. After three years of building up the Australian market, and working with the band Midnight Oil, he was offered a job as vice president of A&R for Epic Records in Los Angeles.
Following a year working with artists like Indigo Girls and Social Distortion, Novik was offered a job in New York, co-heading the A&R department at Columbia Records. Despite the problems of shared management, he worked with Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and Judy Collins until 1991. Hired as the senior vice president of A&R at RCA Records in 1992, he became senior vice president of A&R international in 1995, and was involved in the signing of Natalie Imbruglia and ‘N Sync, among others.
After ten years with RCA, Novik left in 2002 to pursue other interests. He opened a consulting and production company and served as executive producer on the Grammy Award-winning CD, Wire, recorded by the band Third Day.
Novik returned to the corporate music world in 2005, when he was appointed senior vice president A&R for Universal Classics Group. Based in New York, Novik is responsible for discovering new artists and projects in the classical crossover and adult music genres and the development of new soundtrack opportunities for the Universal Classics Group of labels. He is also involved in the creative aspects of existing artist projects and recordings released on the various international classical labels. www.new.umusic.com
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