Inch Chua : The Cold, Conned & Conquered.

February 18, 2011

Occasionally i get questions about how relevant it is to have a manager in Singapore. Especially since the industry is so small; it just makes sense for an artist to manage themselves. Which is a very valid point of view but i personally see the role of a manager to be someone more than just someone who does the admin stuff & settling the business aspect for you.

Like everything else in this industry, the role and responsibilities of a manager has been changing. We no longer can define it in a general term cause, its about how the individual manager caters to the personal needs of the artist (shame on you if you’re thinking of something dirty).

Willy Tan from Aging Youth has been my manager for my solo efforts for the past year and half. There is no instance where i can fully claim credit for myself cause i wouldn’t have been able to do the many things that i’ve done without his assistance or his hand visibly involved. From important things such as helping me to prep the proposals, negotiating, organizing press, to the little things like helping me carry my guitar on stage, Willy has done countless of things for me & my career. So evidently, you can tell that my stand on having a manager is of a favourable one. But then again, the main reason why i’m strongly in favour of it is due to that fact that i found myself a very reliable person i can trust. I consider myself very blessed cause not many can say the same for themselves.

In many cases, loads of bands i know have been burnt by the managers they have had and after-which sworn off having any managers. With that said, i’m not afraid to proclaim that there are MANY screwed up managers out there who are in it for the wrong reasons. So its really important that one gets very careful about who you appoint to be responsible for the future of your artistry.

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Here are some of the most common misconceptions of the role of a manager:

#1) Getting a manager = You’ve sold out

I’ve heard this so many times that its not even funny anymore. i hear stuff like, “its all about the music & tainting it with business just destroys the real essence of what your music stands for” - i’m para-phrasing of course.

All i can say is that, if you’re someone that’s content with just playing music for leisure purposes and as a hobby, then of course getting a manager would be ridiculous. But if you’re someone that’s whining that your band’s not getting anywhere, you’re really depress about it & you have the tendency to dismiss every other band’s success as an act of selling out. You have serious issues.

If you want to take music seriously, you need to figure out how you can do it while being financially stable. its just common sense. Besides they don’t call it the Music Business or Music Industry for nothing.

#2) Artist managers need to be ruthless and shrewd business people.

We don’t live in the 1970s era anymore where your manager need to be like Peter Grant. Sure, its unlikely that Led Zeppelin would have been as successful it weren’t for Peter Grant aggressive negotiations, but i don’t think it applies anymore in this day & age.

Yes, having a manager with good negotiating skills is key but ethically of course. Most people prefer working with people with no frills. Friendly business wrestling’s fine, but you don’t wanna come across as just down right demanding.

Bottom-line: your manager doesn’t need to be an asshole or a bitch.

#3) Your manager is someone that controls you (even artistically)

For some reason, alot of people have the general impression that the manager is of a higher hierarchy than the artist. Its as if is the artist is a string puppet while the manager is the master. And yes, some managers do work that way but it doesn’t represent how ALL managers work.

In reality, it really depends on the consignment you individually have with your manager. Some managers have an agency-client kind of working relationship, where the manager just provides the service of doing certain things. In which, both of these cases just isn’t how i roll.

Willy and i work together as a partnership, where we both share our resources amongst each other and work closely on projects together. He is a manager that’s concern of my career’s future and makes decision that will benefit me in the long run. The cool thing about Willy that he’s always someone thats very mindful of what i want to do artistically and fully respects my vision. He advises on my ideas and obviously runs its feasibility by me, so its like having a second opinion i trust. I usually take his advice on things cause i know he’s the bigger expert from the business point of view. It all boils down to trust i suppose. I need to trust his vision as much as he trusts mine.

To some extent he controls me, but with my best interest at heart, of course. Like how he would always nag at me if i’m sleeping too late before an early show or double check if i’m eating anything i shouldn’t before singing. Sort of like a personal trainer; who disciplines and motivates.

#4) Isn’t a label & a manager the same thing!?

Yes they play similar roles and certain responsibilities overlap but they individually have different and specific agendas. The distinction is more clear overseas but in Singapore however, our “bao-ka-liao” habit just kicks in. So you’ll soon realize some labels take on the role of a managing the band too.
Google the role of a label and the role of a manager and compare if you really need to know. Wiki could probably explain it better.

#4) The number one priority of a manager is to get a record deal

First and foremost, if you’re anyone that does your research properly, record deals don’t mean much nowadays & it shouldn’t be any of your managers priorities - especially in Singapore.

The two most important things i think a manager should have on his mind is business development & artist development.

Business - Its all about building the value of the artist’s brand or “brand equity” if you will. One way to do that is to develop strategies to build fan base and leveraging such forms of “equity” to attract more strategic partnerships which will once again create more visibility (thus increasing brand equity) and revenue. And the circle goes on.

Artist - Its impossible to fake it. If you’re an artist that isn’t a real artist or someone that does it for the wrong reasons, the public is just always going to be smart enough to see through you. So its just as much as the artist’s responsibility to desire growth as much as it is the manager’s. For example, if you’re a dude selling oranges, i’m sure you want the quality of your oranges to be of improving quality. So sometimes, taking up jobs that artistically challenge your artist (but not necessarily pay well) might push your artist. Or just finding other means to develop them.

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So if you’re someone considering to get a manager, my best advise is to make sure you see eye to eye artistically with them first and clearly define they’re responsibilities. If you’re someone that feels you’re not ready for that kind of a decision… then its best that you educate yourself. Read up or understand certain fundamentals of the business so you can get things done right for yourself.

AND no, Its not a sign of weakness if you find yourself unable to cope with the business aspect. Don’t hesitate to find help, if you know you’re someone who’s talent lies in making music and not making business decisions, find someone who’s talents lies in that aspect. If you check through out the history of music, NO BAND or ARTIST has ever been able to do this completely on their own. Every great band has someone great backing them up.

In my case, i’m very bless to have found my left brain, so that i can happily focusing on being the right brain of my music career.

Here’s to you, Willy Tan. <3

6:24pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z-gqTy38Jkrx

(Notes: 13)