Story Root

A Chart That Makes You See Things Better

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I have been asked this point of view for a while now. From my readers. I guess now is a time to put it out. About observations you also should be aware of. Some things are better reading from the book, while in some cases a short article can bring the idea out best. In this article – we are interested in the chart that book contains.

I have created this chart below for multiple purposes. This article is about two of them. The rest you can find out from this book.

A chart that we used at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences during 2023 course.

The Art of Music Business: For Artists & Managers

The chart has been developing along the way. When mentoring artists, teaching music business students, or in other ways trying to make my point clear – I have used this chart for framing. I am pretty sure it will help you too. To find your own style to handle things, everyone needs the frame – and hence a concept. Something to reflect on. This chart is made for you. I personally use the idea of it daily.

Music business management can be a difficult equation to figure out – especially among its most demanding subcategory, artist management. There’s a lot to do. In the beginning, when there isn’t necessarily anything to take a grip on – you still need to make a next move. To start something. As an artist manager, you’ll need an artist with at least one recording out. Before that moment, everything is more or less artificial. It’s the release that eventually starts the journey. This is the lesson one. A starting point.

That release will also become a story root. The story root is one of the modern music business’s most significant feature. Consequently, our job is to define it, make it grow, as well as to nourish it and attach it with a new meanings. Without fulfilling this basic obligation, it is difficult to move on as a modern artist, artist manager or in tandem with a co-management. This alone is a good reason to read this book. It will explain in more detail the things to pay attention.

Fortunately, this isn’t the whole truth. In terms of the artist management, there are many things you can anticipate. Get ready for the future. The first two compartments of this chart, management & copyright, is the environment where you can be active all the time. Their completion doesn’t require other’s contribution.  You can build them without any constraints.

Instead, the third compartment, intercession, is something that requires more from the manager. You need to have gained at least some level of field knowledge to get in run properly. Learn by doing – that’s the way. Intercession is also something that requires contribution of others. How to combine and attach all these elements together in sensible fashion makes manager a manager.

All this was the dilemma we dealt with comprehensively at our course. And that chart above as our compass.

Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences students at Management & Intercession Skills Course 2023

Story Root and A Few Related Insights

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As it is with every story, its root is an always present thing. The story root exists, even if it you cannot see it. It may have been replaced with some other, more topical or accurate feature. Something that is more interesting, or in time at that particular moment. Even in case of its altered form, the origin is always there – you cannot get rid of it. In fact, all these new features springing out of it, are somewhat in line with it – one way or another. It is our growth story.

That set-up is present where ever you are accepting a new assignment – no matter the role. Even though there can be a root already, your contribution begins a new era within it. All the features you will bring with it, will be evaluated though the scope of this root. How much, or how little your efforts are reflecting that idea. When we say that someone is taking good care of the artist’s legacy, for example, it is this story root and related episodes that acts as a measure.

The story root is an enabler – it makes the necessary evaluation possible. You may afterwards analyze your action according to how it corresponds to the idea of that root. Or how it correlates the back motives involved in it. As we already pointed out, that same story root is relevant outside the artist’s story too. It will make reflections to the artist’s background organization. To understand and internalize this very philosophy is something that makes you a manager. Even if the artist has released their biggest hit just recently, it is still their first release ever that consists the origin. Everything else that has happened from that moment on, is a growth story. This is something to keep in mind before starting your job as a manager.

The takeaway insight is that the story root itself is usually located to much earlier moment we tend to think. It isn’t always obvious. It is the first official mark where the journey begin. With regard to the artist, it is always a released recording or a published song. It is your job to find it. Only then you can be consistent with your work. Embrace the origin.

This is us – at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. 29 students plus one teacher and a common interest – a modern music business management. Even though our story in this context is still under construction, we decided to make a premature move. To provide our content on the matter. Otherwise we would be just a registration mark. This post will eventually become relevant, retrospectively – as it is already linked to Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. The people here are its cultural management students. The first thing with regard to our story is the moment when they enrolled themselves to this course and got accepted in it. As they already are the school’s students, the context is clear. When we get this course finished, it establishes a registration mark – a grade. That registration is permanent. It cannot be changed or taken away, unless you decide to raise the grade. However, the mark itself remain. In time, when the whole degree will be completed, it will crown all this. It becomes a whole. All these registration marks together establishes a frame to our story. If we decide to do something else together – it will always return to this root that has been established. Keep this in mind and you are able to be more consistent with whatever you do.

The Essence of the Music BusinessTalking about story root at one of our lectures

The Essence of the Music Business