Interested in working with some of the biggest music artists? Keep reading to find out about Amanda’s role in the Music Brand Partnerships team and the initiatives Wasserman runs for those looking to break into the industry!
7 Mins Read
Can you tell us about your journey into the music industry and when you knew you wanted to work in music?
I’ve always been a creative person. Everything about the arts interested me. I would sing and dance as a child and take art classes throughout my schooling. It wasn’t until I was about 16/17 years old that I took working in the music industry seriously. I initially wanted to be a fashion designer and work in that world, but I felt it would be too limiting. I then learned about PR and Communications, and I thought this field could help me work with creatives and find ways to grow their brands, which really interested me because that type of role is creative. When I went to college in Washington, D.C., I learned that my school had its own record label, so I made sure to join that. I also found an internship in my final year of university at a popular venue in the city, which was a great introduction for me to the live entertainment industry.
The whole world amazed me: I tried everything to find my place in it. The pandemic was a curve ball for me as the lockdown in the U.S. occurred in my last semester of university. I had applied for a fellowship for a big agency called WME, but it was put on hold because of the pandemic. Instead, they decided to join a summer virtual program that allowed us to learn about the industry, and it was then that I learned about talent booking agents. I knew this would be my way in. First, I started in Influencer Marketing, working on the brand side, but it wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for since it didn’t involve music, but I knew I would learn a lot from the role, and I did! There’s no way my current role would have come to me as easily as it did if I hadn’t gone through that journey of growth.
What does your current role in the Music Brand Partnerships team involve?
I’m a part of a 10 – 12-person team that services over 2000 artists on our roster. As a team, we connect artists to consumer brands, and that can come in the form of brand endorsements, ambassadorships, sponsorships, social activation content, performances, etc. I mainly work in the Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic, and Latin space. At the same time, I’m actively trying to grow the African roster with the tour booking agents so that when I become an (official) branding agent, I will be able to service clients that are in genres I’m more familiar with and know need more representation in this space.
What is your favourite part of the job?
The access to all of the shows on our roster! Live shows were the main incentive for me to work in the music industry, so being able to attend as many shows as I do is such a blessing. I also love the discovery process of emerging artists and brands I can work with when it comes to partnerships. I love it when we can present a deal to an upcoming artist who has worked a lot in the brand space; they are usually really eager to participate, and being a part of the journey is very cool to me.
What are three skills you think are essential to your role?
One of the biggest challenges for young people who want to work in music is the lack of knowledge about available opportunities. Do you know of any initiatives Wasserman runs to help young people gain industry experience?
We have internships every summer and fall for students currently in university in the U.S. and the U.K. They are in-person for the most part, which I know can be challenging at times. I do want to say that I only had one internship during university, which was wild from my perspective as it seemed like my school had a Special Olympics just for internships. I say this to show that good networking and building authentic relationships can go a long way when finding opportunities, as that is the most prominent way people learn about new roles and jobs.
Did you face any challenges trying to get into the industry? If so, how were you able to overcome them?
My default answer would be the pandemic, given that I graduated when the world shut down and most companies were in a hiring freeze. I only remedied that situation through prayer, patience and preparation. Prayer helped strengthen my faith; I needed the patience to withstand the wait for the door God was going to open for me, and I had to stay prepared to walk through that door with the confidence and the knowledge to do well.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a young person who has a similar background to you and feels the industry is not for them?
That’s a good thing!!! It means that they need you. And because not many people look like us, it means we have the luxury of creating our own lanes to fill the gaps you see in the industry. Being different will help you in the long run. On the flip side, you have to be mentally prepared for this. I once asked Virgil Abloh what mindset you need to get to the place you want to go, and he told me that the mindset is key. He stated that it’s like climbing a mountain because the higher you go, the less oxygen there is. If you mentally prepare yourself, you can then account for that as you decide to reach for higher heights and take chances on yourself rather than become overwhelmed by the fact that it’s not getting easier, which can make you panic and shut down. Once you realize that, your mind can withstand that resistance, and you can push through.
If you were to choose one person to shine a light on in the industry, who would it be and why?
It’s never one person cause it takes a group effort to make a significant change; if it were just one person, it would be a huge burden to carry, and eventually, they’d burn out. The company I’m currently at, Wasserman Music, has created an accelerator program for students in HBCUs, where students can get internships across the company for the summer. As one of the previous questions mentioned, it can be difficult for people like us to get into this industry when we don’t even know what exists, so programs like these are SO important. If I hadn’t applied for the fellowship provided by WME, then I wouldn’t have known about my role either! Agencies are doing more to educate young people from underrepresented backgrounds; we just have to ensure that once we are provided access to these roles, we do our part in educating our communities as well.
Want to connect with Amanda? Head over to our Networks page to find out more!