A recent music business workshop held by JAMPRO highlighted the dynamic between manager and artiste, as well as that between the artiste and the media.

Several of the points made, particularly those by Shocking Vibes CEO Clyde McKenzie and Headline Entertainment general manager Carlette DeLeon echoed sentiments expressed by entertainment manager Teddy Laidley in his music management feature Inside the music'. Thus, the latest in the series, which features a response from DeLeon and others, is included below.

Clyde McKenzie (left) of Shocking Vibes and JAMPRO's Kirk Kennedy in discussion during the JAMPRO workshop, 'The Business behind the Music,' at the Terra Nova hotel. (Photos: Garfield Robinson)

In the weeks following the series of articles on artiste management, I have received many reactions from persons in the business. The two hot topics: When does an artiste need to find a manager? And, who exactly can be a manager?

Some persons disagree with the view held by Danny Browne that an artiste really needs a manager when he/she can't count his own money. For example, Carlette DeLeon, publicist at Headline Entertainment, firmly believes that a new artiste should actively seek management at the very outset. However, she is equally clear about the difficulty in finding an effective manager or any manager, for that matter:

"If an artiste benefits from management from the get-go, they have someone to guide them through their career - through certain pitfalls so that they don't make mistakes so that if it takes them 10 years to develop. They can develop in five years and therefore see return on their investment sooner; can shape them into something sustainable. Realistically, that's not going to happen.

Headline Entertainment's Carlett DeLeon (left) makes a point to Kirk Kennedy, Clyde McKenzie and JAMPRO/Jamaica film music & entertainment commissoner Del Crooks

One of the things that I've noticed about the business - I'm sure other people have noticed, it's not like a great revelation: we have chronically more talent than we have managers."

So, why is there a shortage of artiste managers here in Jamaica? Carlette offers two possibilities. Firstly, she believes that many potential artiste managers and industry players are languishing behind the microphone, unsuccessfully pursuing careers as performers. Some of these persons, she argues, should seriously consider stepping away from the mic and instead get involved in the business aspect of the industry.

Secondly, she is convinced that the unfavourable images and stereotypes of the music industry may discourage many who would otherwise consider using their business talents in the industry. The music business is still perceived by many in Jamaica as a hobby at best, and at worst, as unprofessional and fit only as a career of last resort. Carlette herself encountered family disapproval upon her foray into the industry, and comments that: "There are these stereotypes that people have about the entertainment business, that it's a fly-by-night hustling rather than a business. And you know, in some cases they are right.'

Her solution? Implement structures and procedures that will improve the level of professionalism in the business.

"Right now, anybody can be a manager. You don't need any kind of business degree to be a manager. In the States, if you want to be a booking agent, you have to be licensed and bonded by whatever body there is governing that county or state or however it is over there. Right? So you have to prove yourself on some level. In Jamaica, I can tell anybody, Yeh man, give me the money for the artiste. What proof do you have? What agency can you call and say is Carlette DeLeon the actual agent for such-and-so-forth? No such thing exists.

Which leads us then to the other hot topic mentioned at the beginning of this article: who can be a manager? I was recently invited to be one of two presenters at a seminar for the finalists of the JCDC Popular Song Competition. Desmond Young, president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM) and presenter at the seminar, offered the view that anyone can be an artiste manager, provided that he/she is willing to learn about the business.

This introduced a controversy that is an ongoing discussion in the music business fraternity, whether a manager by definition needs to have certain qualifications and/or experience in the business before attempting to develop an artiste's career.

The fact is, while there are increasing opportunities, both locally and overseas, to study and gain paper qualifications in the business of music and entertainment, these opportunities represent a fairly recent development.

The history of the music business chronicles artiste managers who learnt by doing. When trying to understand this, it is important to bear in mind that, while the music business is a business, it is primarily a creative business, and as such there are more general principles than there are rules.

This factor, along with the relationship-driven nature of the industry, and the fast-paced changes resulting from the evolution of technology and information access, means that any bright, determined, and talented person with a drive to learn and a keen interest in music, can succeed as an artiste manager. Successful managers who have evolved in this manner rely on business smarts and intuition, an unwavering belief in the talent and potential of their client, dogged persistence, and an unending pursuit of knowledge about the business.

That being said, there is also the danger that an inexperienced manager can hinder or even kill the growth of an artiste. History also chronicles artiste-manager relationships that have gone sour because of poor decision-making, missed opportunities, and other problems that may arise from lack of experience. A well-connected manager, on the other hand, already has the expertise, industry connections, and reputation that can make things happen for his/her artiste far more effectively.

In the final analysis, the artiste-manager relationship is like a marriage, working for the success of the artiste through compatibility, compromise, communication, and commitment. Ultimately, if one weighs the experience of a manager versus his/her passion for the artiste, then experience becomes second only to passion. According to Vivek J Tiwary, an American music industry veteran and contributor to StarPolish.com:

"The most important characteristic a manager can have is absolute love for his or her artiste. After that, he or she needs to be able to harness that love into a constructive machine to help the artiste. He or she must be motivated, smart, and personable or otherwise good in dealing and negotiating with tough people. The manager should believe that he or she is a member of the band or a partner if you are a solo artiste, and that he or she would kill for this music just as much as the musicians and songwriters would.

Of course, it would be great if he or she were also an established, powerful manager who has a good deal of experience and contacts in the music industry. But developing artistes should keep in mind that it's important to pair with a manager who will spend time on your act."

And, until the artiste is able to find a manager - experienced or inexperienced - who believes in him/her, he/she must learn enough about the business to practise good management principles that will take his/her career to the next level.

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