Artist Management Or
Artist Marriagement?
A recent theory (Allen, 2007) states that “An artist manager must know
absolutely everything about the artist’ life”.
When looking at Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs we can see that certain
needs must be met in an order before fulfillment of the next. In order for an artist to reach their fullest
potential and self-actualize, the manager must move with them. A manager must understand every aspect of an
artist life because it all affects their performances in one way or
another. An example of this would be in
that the artist’ personal life with their spouse can be reflected in their
performances.
How much information is too much? Would not one consider it a liability to
release this to someone who could possibly use it in future for their own
advantage by sharing it with the world either through print, media, or other
source? This all boils down to the level
of trust between the two. A contract
between the manager and artist must clarify every detail possible to prevent
any litigation issues in the future.
Too much information would create an injustice for
negation and leverage. The manager could
have so much information it would make it hard for the artist to
Negotiate because they also do not have the leverage that
is needed. So the solution is a Maslow’s
Hierarchy of needs management questionnaire.
There is not one part of an artist life that a manager does
not encounter on a daily basis. The
directing and guiding from the manager comes into play to help ensure the
success of the artist.
The closest analogy of an artist and the manager is that of a
good marriage. According to Xavier(2004) “To succeed, it takes a lot of hard work along
with a willingness to communicate, compromise, and change as the relationship
grows and new challenges are presented.
Above all, a good marriage requires a strong sense of mutual trust and
the ability to see things are they are”.
An artist must have a passion driven deep from an intrinsic
motivation. An artist must master their
work but also know the “Why” they work so hard doing what they do. A great manager will help guide the artist
even during the deepest and darkest part of the career. During the hard times the artist may need
reminders that they are serving a greater purpose larger than themselves. A great artist will play many roles as a
friend, business coach, and risk taker.
In essence, the success of the manager is completely dependent
upon the success of the artist. Both
roles are crucial and they both must mutually understand, and trust one
another. An example of how a manager is
a direct reflection upon the career of an artist can be seen with PDiddy’s managers all whom have gone to jail. PDiddy’s bad choices of managers have
reflected upon his career negatively and prevented him to reach his fullest
potential. Artists must be good judges
of character and managers must understand their servant type position for the
artist. This can cause one to humble himself
or herself before the artist but also have a strong desire to see to it that
above everything, the artist will succeed.
