RECORD COMPANY
Manager • Senior Manager (a&r)
JOB DESCRIPTION
Managers scout new talent for the label to sign and find songs for them to record. Because Renee White also serves as Tony Brown's (label president and a producer) assistant, her main focus is as a facilitator of information to and from him. She prioritizes and schedules appointments and phone calls requested by him or other individuals. White makes him aware of internal and external office correspondence, and briefs him about information that requires his response. She accepts and delivers music he needs to hear and coordinates his travel arrangements. Essentially, White's goal is to help Brown's business life run smoothly.
PREREQUISITES
One of the most important traits of an assistant/A&R manager is flexibility because the workday revolves around coordinating the needs of another person. It is important to know who is who in the industry in order to prioritize calls and appointments. A positive and friendly attitude, clerical skills, the ability to multi-task, and confidentiality are essential requirements.
CAREER TIPS
Study music trade magazines and learn who is who in the industry, particularly the names of song-writers and publishers. Read album label copy and become familiar with who wrote, produced, and played the songs on the album.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
White begins most mornings helping her boss go through the list of phone calls that need to be made and returned, and channels people through the office who need to meet with him. When he is in the recording studio, she stops by with anything pertinent that he might need, such as papers to sign, phone calls to make, charts to review. Throughout the day she deals with e-mail, faxes, and other correspondence. She fields telephone calls from publishers, songwriters, producers, artists, managers, attorneys, label executives, and others, and takes appropriate action.
POINTERS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
“Be flexible and open to opportunities, even working in the mail room. If you work hard, you can move up.” Another good starting point is as a receptionist, where you can become familiar with people calling in to the label, and can gain experience dealing with a variety of personalities.
LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“The only thing that is not a dream about this job is that I have to be here every day. There is no traveling involved and I do have the wanderlust.”
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“I like being in the thick of a lot of interesting things happening. For instance, last night I attended Michael McDonald's record release party. Last week I went to a Bruce Springsteen concert. It s fun being around so much talent. It's a lot better than insurance work, I'm telling you.”
RENEE WHITE, FORMER SENIOR MANAGER OF A&R, MCA RECORDS NASHVILLE; A&R, VANGUARD / SUGAR HILL RECORDS
Detroit native Renee White had been studying painting at Wayne State University when she decided that she had suffered through enough cold winters. While visiting a friend in Nashville, she found a job with the first of several insurance companies. Hating the work, she moved on to a pawnshop where she learned the diamond trade. After eight years of selling wholesale diamonds and custom jewelry, the birth of her daughter sent White searching for a job with medical insurance and benefits. The secretarial skills she had honed working for insurance companies helped her to land a job at Welk Music Publishing (later bought by Polygram Music) answering telephones and copyright administrating. She loved the creative energy of the music business and quickly got to know many of the major songwriters in town.
In 1990, after eight years of struggling to make ends meet, White decided it was time for a change. She quit with the idea of returning to painting, but missed the structure of an office job after only one month. She put together a resume, dropped one off at MCA Music, and the next day got a phone call from a friend offering her a job. She was hired as executive assistant to Tony Brown, president of MCA Records Nashville. Working for Brown, White had an opportunity to work closely not only with the label's roster of artists but also with songwriters, publishers, and producers. She earned more responsibility, searching for and screening songs, and was rewarded with a promotion to senior manager of A&R.
With Brown leaving MCA to co-found Universal South, it was time for White to spread her wings, taking on A&R responsibilities for Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records. www.sugarhillrecords.com
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