"The Answers Are In The Field"

When I hear the word management, I think control. Both of these words have an inevitable intimidation factor connected to them. Before this week, I had, in my opinion, a falsely fabricated impression of talent managers. A manager was so high up “the ladder” in the music industry that they didn’t even seem relatable or tangible to me. Our guests in class this week completely changed my opinion. We were fortunate enough to meet and speak with Marty Winsch and Dolph Ramseur, two incredibly successful managers in the music business. I was a little star struck to say the least.

Marty turned out to be one of the most genuine, knowledgable people I’ve ever met. He was even gracious enough with his time to stay after class to speak with me and Taylor. He read us immediately. If one thing is certain, it’s that he knows how to read people’s personalities and recognize their potential and address each individual accordingly. Now that is pure talent. I was blown away. All it took was a few minutes of conversation with us, and I felt like he understood us and backed us 100%. To me, that ability to connect with an artist and truly believe in their potential is what a good manager should possess. As our meeting came to a close, we asked for one last piece of advice, and he said something that will always stick with me. He said, “the answers are in the field.” If you’re scared to jump into the music world, and you’re not sure where to start, then just do it. Real life experiences can never hurt you. You learn more from hands on experiences than you ever would reading about them.

The class also had a chance to interview Dolph Ramseur of Ramseur Records, who manages the Avett Brothers among several other talented groups. I’ll be honest. I was incredibly nervous to speak with him. I’m such a huge Avett Brothers fan. In my eyes, he was the closest I was ever going to get to meeting them. His story is unbelievable. Throw away your copy of The Great Gatsby, kids. Don’t let anyone tell you that the American Dream is impossible to achieve because this man is living it. He built his success from the ground up. He didn’t know a soul in the music business, had no experience whatsoever, but he did have the most important ingredient. Passion. His passion and love for music is the sole reason he pursued a career in music and is arguably where his success stems from. That type of grit and determination is what young, aspiring artists need for inspiration.

I began to notice that he and Marty have several things in common as managers. They both wholeheartedly believe in their artists’ potential and have great personal relationships with them, and they are both passionate about what they do. Marty and Dolph taught me to always seek out the potential in people and ask what you can do for them. If you believe in something, then that’s enough to go out and chase what you want. Remember, “The answers are in the field.”