Berklee	
  College	
  of	
  Music	
  Valencia	
  	
  
Culminating	
  Experience	
  Thesis	
  Reflective	
  Paper	
  

	
  
Operational	
  Project:	
  A&R/Artist	
  Management	
  Disciplines	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

“What	
  Dreams	
  Are	
  Made	
  Of”	
  

My	
  Experience	
  in	
  the	
  Artist	
  &	
  Repertoire/Artist	
  Management	
  Field	
  
	
  
	
  
Written	
  by:	
  Jasmine	
  Shepard	
  
Master	
  of	
  Arts	
  Candidate	
  
Global	
  Entertainment	
  and	
  Music	
  Business	
  Program	
  
	
  
June	
  27,	
  2014	
  
	
  

	
  

It	
  was	
  no	
  surprise	
  that	
  when	
  I	
  arrived	
  at	
  Berklee	
  Valencia	
  my	
  culminating	
  
experience	
  would	
  result	
  in	
  pursuing	
  my	
  ideal	
  breakthrough	
  position	
  within	
  the	
  
entertainment	
  industry	
  as	
  an	
  artist	
  &	
  repertoire	
  scout.	
  	
  	
  This	
  mission	
  led	
  me	
  to	
  
chasing	
  my	
  dream	
  and	
  taking	
  my	
  career	
  aspirations	
  to	
  a	
  higher	
  level.	
  	
  The	
  
journey	
  began….	
  
	
  
Initially	
  I	
  proposed	
  to	
  find	
  2-­‐3	
  different	
  artists	
  to	
  assist	
  them	
  with	
  
creating	
  separate	
  EPs.	
  	
  My	
  duties	
  would	
  range	
  from	
  artist	
  development,	
  
coordination	
  of	
  studio	
  sessions,	
  marketing	
  and	
  promotion,	
  and	
  even	
  social	
  media	
  
management.	
  	
  I	
  sought	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  multiple	
  artists	
  with	
  hopes	
  of	
  gaining	
  a	
  
multifaceted	
  management	
  experience	
  (since	
  each	
  artist,	
  project,	
  and	
  relationship	
  
is	
  unique).	
  However,	
  there	
  were	
  three	
  artists	
  who	
  originally	
  consented	
  to	
  
collaborate	
  with	
  me,	
  and	
  unfortunately	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  artists	
  left	
  Berklee	
  to	
  pursue	
  
other	
  endeavors.	
  	
  Immediately	
  I	
  was	
  given	
  a	
  realistic	
  portrayal	
  of	
  how	
  
relationships	
  could	
  either	
  flourish	
  or	
  dissipate	
  within	
  the	
  blink	
  of	
  an	
  eye!	
  I	
  was	
  
wide-­‐awake!	
  I	
  had	
  no	
  control	
  over	
  the	
  situation	
  and	
  had	
  to	
  recoup	
  from	
  the	
  
initial	
  blow	
  of	
  losing	
  a	
  talented	
  artist	
  by	
  vowing	
  to	
  maximize	
  this	
  experience	
  
with	
  the	
  prospect	
  of	
  working	
  with	
  two	
  incredibly	
  gifted	
  artists	
  who	
  had	
  much	
  to	
  
offer.	
  
	
  
Summary	
  of	
  tasks	
  completed:	
  
	
  
• Networked	
  with	
  fellow	
  musicians	
  within	
  the	
  Berklee	
  community	
  who	
  
were	
  able	
  to	
  assist	
  with	
  playing	
  instruments	
  during	
  recording	
  sessions.	
  
• Met	
  regularly	
  with	
  artists	
  to	
  ensure	
  that	
  we	
  were	
  moving	
  in	
  the	
  
creative/artistic	
  direction	
  that	
  they	
  desired.	
  
• Decided	
  which	
  songs	
  to	
  cover—developed	
  the	
  direction	
  for	
  the	
  sound	
  of	
  
each	
  respective	
  project.	
  

	
  

2	
  

•
•
•
•
•

•
•

•
•
•

Found	
  producers	
  who	
  assisted	
  with	
  formulating	
  a	
  Jazz	
  sound/fusion	
  and	
  
Gospel	
  sound.	
  
Recruited	
  studio	
  engineer(s)	
  for	
  recording	
  sessions.	
  
Reserved/booked	
  studio	
  time	
  for	
  recording	
  sessions.	
  
Created	
  original	
  material	
  for	
  original	
  recordings.	
  
Developed	
  Facebook	
  fan	
  pages	
  to	
  promote	
  artists	
  and	
  their	
  songs/the	
  EP	
  
to	
  build	
  rapport	
  and	
  ultimately	
  establish	
  a	
  following	
  and	
  enhance	
  their	
  
brands.	
  
Create	
  electronic	
  press	
  kits	
  (EPKs)	
  for	
  each	
  artist	
  to	
  promote	
  their	
  music	
  
and	
  enhance	
  their	
  brand	
  image.	
  	
  	
  
Document	
  the	
  process	
  via	
  video—including	
  recording	
  sessions,	
  
performances,	
  and	
  allow	
  the	
  artists	
  to	
  introduce	
  themselves	
  to	
  new	
  
listeners/potential	
  fans.	
  	
  This	
  footage	
  will	
  be	
  used	
  as	
  content	
  for	
  EPKs,	
  
Facebook	
  pages,	
  and	
  YouTube	
  to	
  promote	
  and	
  display	
  the	
  artists’	
  talent	
  
and	
  skills	
  to	
  hopefully	
  build	
  a	
  spirit	
  of	
  “connectedness”	
  with	
  
listeners/viewers/subscribers.	
  
Selected	
  EP	
  artwork.	
  
Distribution	
  formats—Downloads	
  or	
  streams	
  via	
  SoundCloud.	
  
Provided	
  social	
  media	
  management	
  across	
  multiple	
  platforms	
  (i.e.	
  
Facebook,	
  SoundCloud,	
  Twitter,	
  etc.)	
  

	
  
The	
  Process:	
  
One	
  of	
  the	
  most	
  important	
  tasks	
  was	
  to	
  find	
  artists	
  to	
  work	
  alongside	
  with	
  
who	
  were	
  not	
  only	
  talented,	
  but	
  that	
  had	
  that	
  “it”	
  factor	
  that	
  made	
  them	
  stand	
  
out	
  from	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  rest.	
  	
  As	
  the	
  Fall	
  semester	
  continued	
  on,	
  I	
  was	
  in	
  search	
  of	
  
finding	
  talent...that	
  was	
  my	
  mission.	
  
	
  
Originally	
  I	
  tried	
  to	
  find	
  singers/musicians	
  within	
  the	
  Valencian	
  
community	
  because	
  I	
  thought	
  it	
  would	
  make	
  for	
  a	
  valuable,	
  eclectic/diverse	
  
musical	
  experience	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  talent	
  outside	
  of	
  the	
  Berklee	
  Valencia	
  bubble.	
  	
  
However,	
  sometimes	
  things	
  can	
  be	
  a	
  lot	
  easier	
  said	
  than	
  done.	
  I	
  was	
  searching	
  
for	
  talent,	
  but	
  bluntly	
  none	
  of	
  them	
  blew	
  me	
  away	
  and	
  it	
  was	
  becoming	
  difficult	
  
to	
  find	
  artists	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  for	
  various	
  reasons.	
  	
  I	
  had	
  also	
  encountered	
  this	
  
obstacle	
  around	
  the	
  same	
  time	
  period	
  for	
  the	
  artist	
  management	
  course	
  that	
  I	
  
	
  

3	
  

was	
  taking	
  that	
  semester.	
  I	
  continued	
  to	
  persevere	
  and	
  remain	
  steadfast	
  in	
  my	
  
mission	
  of	
  finding	
  talented	
  artists	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  and	
  subsequently	
  who	
  would	
  be	
  
interested	
  in	
  my	
  assistance	
  with	
  their	
  career	
  goals.	
  
	
  
I	
  remained	
  optimistic	
  and	
  unceasingly	
  kept	
  my	
  eyes	
  and	
  ears	
  open	
  for	
  
artists	
  to	
  work	
  with,	
  especially	
  since	
  time	
  was	
  flying	
  by	
  and	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  
ultimately	
  be	
  excited	
  and	
  proud	
  of	
  the	
  talent	
  that	
  I	
  would	
  be	
  working	
  with.	
  	
  
Eventually	
  I	
  realized	
  that	
  I	
  didn’t	
  have	
  to	
  compromise	
  the	
  idea	
  of	
  working	
  with	
  
diverse	
  artists,	
  our	
  campus	
  has	
  students	
  from	
  over	
  thirty	
  countries!	
  After	
  letting	
  
that	
  sink	
  in,	
  I	
  asked	
  my	
  peers	
  and	
  colleagues	
  if	
  they	
  knew	
  of	
  any	
  great	
  singers	
  
and	
  musicians	
  within	
  our	
  Berklee	
  Valencia	
  community	
  and	
  I	
  repetitiously	
  heard	
  
the	
  same	
  2-­‐3	
  names.	
  	
  I	
  had	
  met	
  a	
  few	
  of	
  the	
  people	
  that	
  were	
  mentioned,	
  but	
  I	
  
made	
  it	
  my	
  mission	
  to	
  attend	
  any	
  shows	
  or	
  events	
  where	
  they	
  would	
  be	
  
performing	
  to	
  make	
  my	
  own	
  assessment	
  and	
  to	
  also	
  inquire	
  if	
  they	
  were	
  already	
  
being	
  scouted	
  or	
  managed	
  by	
  someone	
  else.	
  
	
  
After	
  attending	
  a	
  few	
  of	
  those	
  shows,	
  I	
  proposed	
  the	
  idea	
  of	
  assisting	
  
these	
  prospective	
  artists	
  to	
  reach	
  shared	
  interests	
  on	
  their	
  end	
  and	
  my	
  end	
  that	
  
would	
  entail	
  the	
  aforementioned	
  tasks.	
  	
  They	
  each	
  consented.	
  	
  I	
  now	
  had	
  two	
  
artists	
  who	
  officially	
  confirmed	
  to	
  collaborate	
  with	
  me	
  on	
  my	
  thesis!	
  I	
  was	
  
ecstatic	
  and	
  ready	
  to	
  get	
  to	
  work	
  and	
  make	
  it	
  happen.	
  Lyncia	
  Pivert	
  captured	
  my	
  
immediate	
  interest	
  because	
  of	
  her	
  powerhouse	
  voice	
  and	
  the	
  stark	
  contrast	
  
between	
  her	
  onstage	
  demeanor	
  and	
  general	
  disposition.	
  	
  Her	
  offstage	
  disposition	
  
is	
  very	
  laidback	
  and	
  she	
  seems	
  shy,	
  but	
  whenever	
  she	
  opens	
  her	
  mouth	
  to	
  
perform	
  you	
  can	
  instantly	
  see	
  and	
  hear	
  her	
  come	
  alive!	
  I	
  was	
  completely	
  blown	
  
	
  

4	
  

away	
  when	
  I	
  heard	
  such	
  a	
  big	
  voice	
  erupt	
  from	
  such	
  a	
  petite,	
  demure,	
  coy	
  young	
  
woman.	
  	
  
	
  	
  
Lyncia	
  is	
  from	
  French	
  Guyana	
  where	
  she	
  grew	
  up	
  studying	
  music	
  
throughout	
  the	
  course	
  of	
  her	
  life	
  and	
  was	
  previously	
  a	
  vocal	
  coach	
  before	
  
attending	
  Berklee	
  Valencia.	
  	
  One	
  of	
  the	
  factors	
  that	
  really	
  connected	
  me	
  with	
  her	
  
was	
  her	
  passion	
  for	
  Gospel	
  music.	
  	
  For	
  myself,	
  growing	
  up	
  in	
  the	
  Southern	
  region	
  
of	
  the	
  United	
  States,	
  Gospel	
  music	
  is	
  such	
  a	
  strong	
  force	
  and	
  huge	
  impact	
  for	
  
many	
  people	
  (including	
  me).	
  	
  The	
  Southern	
  region	
  is	
  known	
  as	
  the	
  “Bible	
  belt”	
  so	
  
Gospel	
  music	
  and	
  religion	
  are	
  intertwined	
  in	
  many	
  aspects	
  of	
  Southern	
  culture	
  
and	
  “Southern	
  hospitality.”	
  	
  Her	
  goal	
  after	
  graduation	
  is	
  to	
  become	
  a	
  Gospel	
  
singer	
  in	
  the	
  Southern	
  region	
  of	
  the	
  States	
  and	
  to	
  ultimately	
  collaborate	
  with	
  
well-­‐known	
  Gospel	
  artists.	
  I	
  was	
  also	
  drawn	
  to	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  although	
  French	
  is	
  
her	
  first	
  language,	
  she	
  used	
  Gospel	
  music	
  as	
  an	
  avenue	
  to	
  learn	
  English	
  and	
  as	
  a	
  
crutch	
  to	
  help	
  strengthen	
  her	
  faith	
  and	
  bond	
  within	
  her	
  religious	
  belief	
  system.	
  
This	
  component	
  of	
  singing	
  and	
  arranging	
  English	
  Gospel	
  songs	
  to	
  French	
  or	
  
bilingual	
  songs	
  was	
  appealing	
  as	
  well.	
  It	
  demonstrated	
  some	
  of	
  her	
  versatility.	
  
	
  
The	
  second	
  artist	
  that	
  concurred	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  me	
  was	
  Cassandra	
  Allen.	
  	
  
She	
  hails	
  from	
  a	
  small	
  town	
  outside	
  of	
  Detroit,	
  Michigan	
  where	
  she	
  grew	
  up	
  
singing	
  classical	
  music	
  and	
  was	
  even	
  a	
  member	
  of	
  the	
  Placido	
  Domingo	
  
Children’s	
  Choir	
  in	
  Michigan.	
  	
  She	
  continued	
  to	
  study	
  classical	
  voice	
  at	
  Howard	
  
University	
  prior	
  to	
  attending	
  Berklee	
  Valencia.	
  	
  She	
  openly	
  expressed	
  to	
  me	
  that	
  
she	
  wanted	
  to	
  transition	
  from	
  classical	
  music/voice	
  into	
  the	
  Jazz	
  realm.	
  	
  Her	
  
appeal	
  that	
  warranted	
  my	
  interest	
  in	
  wanting	
  to	
  develop/manage	
  her	
  was	
  
	
  

5	
  

recognizably	
  her	
  voice/talent	
  but	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  she	
  was	
  the	
  only	
  performance	
  
student	
  interested	
  in	
  Jazz	
  stood	
  out.	
  	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  explore	
  the	
  possibility	
  of	
  
working	
  with	
  an	
  artist	
  who	
  wanted	
  to	
  fuse	
  multiple	
  genres	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  distinctive	
  
sound.	
  	
  We	
  shared	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  same	
  musical	
  influences	
  from	
  the	
  Jazz	
  world,	
  and	
  
she	
  was	
  inspired	
  by	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  greats	
  such	
  as	
  Thelonious	
  Monk,	
  Ella	
  Fitzgerald,	
  
and	
  Sarah	
  Vaughan	
  to	
  name	
  a	
  few.	
  I	
  loved	
  how	
  eager	
  and	
  excited	
  she	
  was	
  to	
  
work	
  on	
  creating	
  an	
  EP!	
  
	
  
My	
  personal	
  goals	
  for	
  this	
  project	
  were	
  to	
  ensure	
  not	
  only	
  my	
  happiness	
  
but	
  to	
  provide	
  assurance,	
  contentment,	
  support,	
  and	
  hopefully	
  happiness	
  to	
  the	
  
artists	
  that	
  I	
  was	
  would	
  be	
  working	
  with.	
  I’ve	
  had	
  professional	
  workforce	
  
experience	
  and	
  unfortunately	
  I	
  knew	
  how	
  it	
  felt	
  to	
  be	
  unhappy	
  and	
  unfulfilled.	
  	
  
That	
  component	
  was	
  a	
  huge	
  part	
  in	
  how	
  I	
  decided	
  to	
  apply	
  to	
  Berklee	
  Valencia	
  
and	
  why	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  pursue	
  my	
  dreams	
  furthermore.	
  	
  It’s	
  simple	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  be	
  
happy	
  and	
  fulfilled!	
  	
  I	
  enjoy	
  giving	
  back	
  and	
  helping	
  others	
  and	
  with	
  this	
  thesis	
  
project	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  do	
  just	
  that!	
  
	
  
I	
  aimed	
  to	
  provide	
  guidance	
  to	
  the	
  artists	
  that	
  I	
  worked	
  with	
  to	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  
help	
  them	
  grow	
  in	
  their	
  respective	
  career	
  paths	
  and	
  to	
  meet	
  their	
  own	
  
professional	
  goals.	
  The	
  emotional	
  component	
  of	
  scouting/management	
  is	
  a	
  
crucial	
  piece	
  within	
  my	
  ideal	
  profession.	
  	
  This	
  was	
  continually	
  displayed	
  
throughout	
  the	
  course	
  of	
  my	
  hands	
  on	
  thesis	
  project.	
  Often	
  times	
  when	
  dealing	
  
with	
  artists,	
  their	
  professional	
  goals	
  and	
  personal	
  goals	
  can	
  intertwine	
  because	
  a	
  
huge	
  aspect	
  of	
  ensuring	
  success	
  is	
  making	
  sure	
  that	
  they’re	
  emotionally	
  fulfilled	
  
and	
  stable.	
  	
  Emotion	
  is	
  what	
  allows	
  us	
  to	
  connect	
  with	
  music.	
  	
  It	
  allows	
  us	
  to	
  be	
  
	
  

6	
  

in	
  touch	
  with	
  our	
  feelings.	
  	
  If	
  an	
  artist	
  isn’t	
  in	
  touch	
  with	
  the	
  feelings	
  that	
  they	
  
need	
  to	
  tap	
  into	
  to	
  complete	
  their	
  goals,	
  it	
  can	
  be	
  challenging.	
  
Below	
  is	
  a	
  Gantt	
  diagram/timeline	
  that	
  was	
  the	
  premise	
  for	
  meeting	
  the	
  
deadlines	
  that	
  I	
  set	
  for	
  	
  my	
  culminating	
  thesis.	
  
30-­‐Oct-­‐13	
   19-­‐Dec-­‐13	
   7-­‐Feb-­‐14	
   29-­‐Mar-­‐14	
  18-­‐May-­‐14	
  
Initiating	
  
Discuss	
  CE	
  project	
  with	
  interested	
  artists	
  
Schedule	
  meetings	
  with	
  artists	
  
Follow	
  up	
  meeting	
  with	
  artists	
  
Second	
  follow	
  meeting	
  with	
  artists	
  
Planning	
  
Edit	
  and	
  submit	
  draft	
  of	
  CE	
  proposal/network	
  
Find	
  interested	
  producers,	
  musicians,	
  studio	
  
Song	
  selection	
  for	
  covers	
  
Find	
  interested	
  songwriters	
  to	
  assist	
  in	
  creating	
  
Find	
  photographer	
  for	
  EP	
  cover	
  art	
  
Execution	
  
Finalize	
  song	
  selection	
  for	
  covers	
  
Book/coordinate	
  songwriting	
  sessions	
  
Book	
  studio	
  time	
  for	
  recording	
  sessions	
  
Document	
  the	
  process	
  of	
  recording	
  each	
  EP	
  via	
  
Record	
  songs	
  for	
  EPs	
  
Create	
  facebook	
  fan	
  pages	
  
Photoshoot	
  for	
  EP	
  covers	
  
Finalize	
  track	
  listings	
  for	
  EPs	
  

Start	
  Date	
  
Duration	
  (Days)	
  

	
  
The	
  Results/Impact:	
  
	
  
This	
  thesis	
  opportunity	
  allowed	
  me	
  to	
  see	
  the	
  different	
  paths	
  and	
  
dynamics	
  of	
  a	
  A&R/manager	
  and	
  artist	
  relationship.	
  	
  Although	
  I	
  worked	
  with	
  
two	
  artists,	
  each	
  experience	
  was	
  unique	
  as	
  I	
  anticipated,	
  but	
  there	
  were	
  some	
  
things	
  that	
  I	
  didn’t	
  anticipate	
  initially.	
  	
  Honestly,	
  I	
  didn’t	
  know	
  what	
  to	
  expect	
  
entirely,	
  I	
  had	
  a	
  very	
  general	
  idea.	
  Previously	
  I	
  had	
  worked	
  with	
  artists,	
  but	
  it	
  
was	
  in	
  a	
  consulting	
  capacity.	
  The	
  only	
  way	
  to	
  find	
  out	
  was	
  by	
  doing…bon	
  voyage!	
  
	
  

	
  

7	
  

Let’s	
  start	
  with	
  Lyncia…Lyncia	
  was	
  very	
  hands	
  on	
  from	
  the	
  first	
  day	
  of	
  our	
  
journey!	
  She	
  had	
  a	
  very	
  clear	
  vision	
  of	
  what	
  her	
  artistic	
  identity	
  looked	
  like	
  and	
  
how	
  she	
  wanted	
  to	
  brand	
  herself.	
  	
  Throughout	
  the	
  multiple	
  studio	
  sessions	
  she	
  
could	
  easily	
  decipher	
  what	
  material	
  she	
  wanted	
  to	
  keep,	
  detect	
  any	
  changes	
  that	
  
needed	
  to	
  be	
  made	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  make	
  sure	
  that	
  the	
  each	
  track	
  was	
  to	
  her	
  liking.	
  
During	
  each	
  session	
  we	
  would	
  confer	
  about	
  topics	
  such	
  as	
  background	
  vocals,	
  
timing,	
  mixing,	
  etc.	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  track	
  that	
  took	
  the	
  longest	
  amount	
  of	
  time	
  to	
  record	
  and	
  finish	
  was	
  
“Jesus	
  Will.”	
  The	
  track	
  is	
  a	
  cover	
  of	
  Gospel	
  singer	
  Anita	
  Wilson’s	
  song	
  of	
  the	
  same	
  
title.	
  	
  She	
  changed	
  the	
  arrangement	
  of	
  the	
  song.	
  It	
  had	
  about	
  7-­‐8	
  different	
  layers	
  
of	
  background	
  vocals	
  to	
  give	
  the	
  track	
  the	
  feel	
  of	
  a	
  mass	
  choir	
  singing	
  behind	
  her.	
  	
  
Since	
  there	
  were	
  so	
  many	
  layers	
  in	
  the	
  song	
  it	
  was	
  imperative	
  that	
  we	
  worked	
  
with	
  the	
  same	
  engineer.	
  	
  When	
  there	
  are	
  multiple	
  layers	
  within	
  a	
  track,	
  it	
  can	
  be	
  
confusing	
  for	
  another	
  person	
  to	
  decipher	
  (especially	
  if	
  they	
  were	
  not	
  present	
  for	
  
the	
  recording/overdub	
  sessions).	
  It	
  took	
  multiple	
  sessions	
  to	
  adjust	
  the	
  
overdubs,	
  adhere	
  to	
  the	
  arrangement	
  of	
  the	
  song,	
  and	
  to	
  finally	
  mix	
  and	
  master	
  
the	
  song.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
One	
  of	
  the	
  most	
  special	
  and	
  poignant	
  moments	
  that	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  share	
  
with	
  Lyncia	
  was	
  when	
  we	
  were	
  able	
  to	
  attend	
  an	
  A&R	
  workshop	
  with	
  two	
  music	
  
industry	
  professionals	
  that	
  visited	
  Berklee	
  Valencia.	
  	
  I	
  encouraged	
  her	
  to	
  submit	
  
her	
  song	
  to	
  see	
  if	
  she	
  would	
  be	
  selected	
  as	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  artists	
  to	
  receive	
  feedback	
  
during	
  the	
  workshop.	
  	
  Fortunately	
  she	
  was	
  selected	
  and	
  received	
  valuable	
  
feedback	
  from	
  Yung	
  Guru	
  (a	
  critically	
  acclaimed	
  recording	
  engineer	
  for	
  Jay-­‐Z)	
  
	
  

8	
  

and	
  Sean	
  C	
  (a	
  Grammy	
  Award	
  winning	
  producer	
  and	
  A&R)	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  praise	
  for	
  
how	
  much	
  the	
  song	
  was	
  well	
  received!	
  I	
  was	
  very	
  proud	
  of	
  her	
  in	
  that	
  moment!	
  
She	
  lit	
  up	
  and	
  seemed	
  very	
  appreciative	
  and	
  humble	
  of	
  the	
  feedback.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
We	
  recorded	
  four	
  songs	
  for	
  her	
  EP	
  	
  release	
  (Please	
  refer	
  to	
  the	
  track	
  listing	
  
below.)	
  
	
  
Lyncia’s	
  EP—“From	
  My	
  Home	
  To	
  You”	
  
Track	
  listing:	
  
1. Jesus	
  Will	
  
2. Tiens	
  Bon	
  (Hold	
  On)	
  
3. Je	
  Te	
  Donne	
  Tout	
  “More”	
  featuring	
  Sammy	
  
4. Pa	
  Laguè	
  Mo	
  	
  
	
  
“Jesus	
  Will”	
  was	
  selected	
  as	
  the	
  lead	
  single	
  from	
  Lyncia’s	
  project.	
  The	
  tempo	
  
of	
  the	
  	
  song	
  is	
  upbeat	
  and	
  uplifting	
  very	
  much	
  like	
  its	
  message.	
  	
  The	
  progression	
  
of	
  her	
  voice	
  throughout	
  the	
  song	
  is	
  amazing	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  the	
  harmonies	
  and	
  
background	
  vocals.	
  	
  This	
  song	
  was	
  utilized	
  to	
  help	
  her	
  reach	
  her	
  target	
  audience	
  
of	
  Southern	
  Gospel	
  aficionados.	
  	
  
	
  
We	
  worked	
  very	
  well	
  together	
  and	
  she	
  was	
  very	
  good	
  at	
  openly	
  
communicating	
  with	
  me	
  as	
  I	
  was	
  with	
  her.	
  	
  Majority	
  of	
  the	
  time	
  she	
  would	
  be	
  
sure	
  to	
  send	
  me	
  any	
  important	
  dates,	
  enlighten	
  me	
  on	
  any	
  of	
  her	
  needs	
  (i.e.	
  
studio	
  time,	
  musicians,	
  content	
  for	
  social	
  media,	
  concerns,	
  etc.).	
  I	
  was	
  fond	
  of	
  her	
  
work	
  ethic	
  and	
  take-­‐charge	
  attitude.	
  She’s	
  very	
  driven	
  and	
  takes	
  a	
  lot	
  of	
  
initiative.	
  She	
  was	
  very	
  easy	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  and	
  that	
  made	
  things	
  work	
  out	
  
smoothly.	
  	
  I	
  worked	
  closely	
  with	
  her	
  to	
  assist	
  with	
  building	
  her	
  social	
  media	
  
presence.	
  My	
  jury	
  member,	
  Gwendolyn	
  Alston	
  was	
  extremely	
  instrumental	
  in	
  

	
  

9	
  

providing	
  me	
  with	
  constructive	
  feedback	
  and	
  suggestions	
  re:	
  social	
  media	
  to	
  
contribute	
  to	
  the	
  success	
  of	
  my	
  thesis	
  project.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Prior	
  to	
  our	
  collaboration	
  Lyncia	
  solely	
  owned	
  a	
  personal	
  Facebook	
  page	
  and	
  
was	
  not	
  active	
  on	
  other	
  social	
  media	
  platforms.	
  	
  I	
  facilitated	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  her	
  
Facebook	
  Fan	
  page,	
  Twitter,	
  YouTube	
  and	
  SoundCloud	
  accounts.	
  	
  I	
  also	
  advised	
  
her	
  on	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  other	
  useful	
  social	
  media	
  tools	
  that	
  could	
  be	
  helpful	
  in	
  her	
  
quest,	
  while	
  giving	
  additional	
  recommendations	
  that	
  I	
  received	
  from	
  Gwendolyn.	
  
(Attached	
  is	
  a	
  social	
  media	
  campaign	
  template	
  that	
  provides	
  a	
  more	
  in-­‐depth	
  
analysis	
  of	
  how	
  I	
  aimed	
  to	
  market,	
  promote,	
  and	
  identify/build	
  her	
  audience.)	
  
	
  
I	
  also	
  reached	
  out	
  to	
  various	
  people	
  who	
  were	
  able	
  to	
  take	
  professional	
  
photos	
  to	
  be	
  used	
  as	
  content	
  and	
  promotional	
  tools.	
  	
  Prior	
  to	
  our	
  working	
  
relationship,	
  Lyncia	
  didn’t	
  have	
  any	
  updated	
  content	
  to	
  share	
  with	
  some	
  of	
  her	
  
audience	
  on	
  her	
  personal	
  page.	
  I	
  organized	
  two	
  photo	
  shoots,	
  and	
  two	
  different	
  
interviews/snippets	
  to	
  be	
  utilized	
  in	
  branding	
  her	
  and	
  aiding	
  her	
  with	
  furthering	
  
her	
  career.	
  	
  
	
  
Under	
  my	
  guidance,	
  I	
  helped	
  Lyncia	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  clearer	
  picture	
  of	
  her	
  artistic	
  
brand	
  and	
  assisted	
  in	
  laying	
  the	
  foundation	
  so	
  that	
  she	
  can	
  now	
  build	
  upon	
  it.	
  
Inevitably	
  she	
  would’ve	
  released	
  music,	
  but	
  previously	
  she	
  hadn’t	
  identified	
  a	
  
real	
  audience.	
  She	
  hadn’t	
  made	
  herself	
  visible	
  as	
  an	
  artist,	
  which	
  is	
  extremely	
  
important	
  during	
  this	
  technological	
  era.	
  I	
  wholeheartedly	
  know	
  that	
  I	
  dedicated	
  
myself	
  to	
  making	
  sure	
  that	
  not	
  only	
  was	
  she	
  excited	
  and	
  satiated	
  with	
  her	
  
project,	
  but	
  that	
  people	
  were	
  paying	
  attention.	
  	
  Prior	
  to	
  our	
  partnership,	
  she	
  
	
  

10	
  

irrefutably	
  had	
  the	
  talent,	
  but	
  she	
  needed	
  more	
  structure.	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  help	
  her	
  
organize	
  and	
  structure	
  things	
  in	
  her	
  favor	
  for	
  this	
  step	
  while	
  providing	
  her	
  with	
  
the	
  tools	
  to	
  continue	
  to	
  manage	
  herself	
  if	
  necessary	
  upon	
  graduation	
  from	
  
Berklee.	
  
	
  
Next	
  up…Cassandra…She	
  was	
  the	
  second	
  artist	
  who	
  I	
  aspired	
  to	
  
develop/manage	
  short-­‐term	
  for	
  this	
  project.	
  We	
  met	
  frequently	
  to	
  discuss	
  the	
  
creative	
  direction	
  of	
  her	
  project	
  and	
  how	
  it	
  should	
  sonically	
  be	
  presented.	
  	
  She	
  
changed	
  her	
  mind	
  like	
  the	
  weather…frequently!	
  Although	
  she	
  could	
  easily	
  cite	
  
her	
  musical	
  influences,	
  it	
  was	
  difficult	
  for	
  her	
  to	
  craft	
  her	
  artistic	
  identity	
  and	
  to	
  
decide	
  how	
  she	
  wanted	
  to	
  be	
  presented	
  to	
  the	
  world.	
  	
  What	
  was	
  her	
  brand?	
  Who	
  
are	
  you?	
  I	
  constantly	
  tried	
  to	
  help	
  her	
  answer	
  these	
  questions.	
  	
  She	
  wanted	
  
things	
  to	
  be	
  perfect,	
  as	
  I	
  did	
  to,	
  but	
  there’s	
  no	
  such	
  thing	
  as	
  perfect.	
  She	
  often	
  
wanted	
  to	
  filter	
  everything	
  according	
  to	
  the	
  preferences	
  of	
  others.	
  It	
  was	
  very	
  
difficult	
  for	
  her	
  to	
  be	
  true	
  to	
  herself	
  and	
  that	
  was	
  reflected	
  whenever	
  it	
  was	
  time	
  
to	
  record.	
  	
  Working	
  with	
  this	
  type	
  of	
  artist	
  was	
  challenging	
  most	
  of	
  the	
  time	
  
because	
  I	
  never	
  knew	
  what	
  to	
  expect.	
  Needless	
  to	
  say	
  it	
  was	
  tough	
  to	
  stick	
  to	
  our	
  
deadlines.	
  I	
  had	
  to	
  really	
  emphasize	
  the	
  importance	
  of	
  adhering	
  to	
  those	
  while	
  
still	
  being	
  able	
  to	
  obtain	
  a	
  high	
  musical	
  quality	
  for	
  her	
  project.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Over	
  time,	
  Cassandra	
  seemed	
  to	
  have	
  lost	
  that	
  glimmer	
  that	
  she	
  once	
  had	
  in	
  
her	
  eye	
  when	
  we	
  initially	
  started	
  working	
  together.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  honest	
  with	
  her	
  about	
  
how	
  she	
  didn’t	
  seem	
  like	
  herself	
  at	
  the	
  time.	
  	
  I	
  realized	
  that	
  she	
  was	
  dealing	
  with	
  
various	
  things	
  that	
  were	
  affecting	
  her	
  emotional	
  stability,	
  so	
  I	
  always	
  made	
  sure	
  
to	
  be	
  a	
  good	
  listener.	
  	
  I	
  would	
  allow	
  her	
  to	
  vent	
  about	
  her	
  frustrations	
  and	
  it	
  
	
  

11	
  

usually	
  made	
  a	
  difference	
  with	
  her	
  demeanor	
  and	
  willingness	
  to	
  work	
  and	
  being	
  
ready	
  to	
  record.	
  	
  I	
  wanted	
  her	
  to	
  know	
  that	
  I	
  was	
  truly	
  supportive	
  of	
  her	
  and	
  that	
  
I	
  didn’t	
  mind	
  lending	
  an	
  ear	
  whenever	
  she	
  needed	
  to	
  express	
  herself.	
  
	
  
She	
  seemed	
  to	
  be	
  very	
  reluctant	
  to	
  trust	
  people	
  that	
  wanted	
  to	
  help	
  her.	
  	
  This	
  
was	
  a	
  challenge	
  because	
  after	
  recording	
  sessions,	
  it	
  was	
  difficult	
  to	
  get	
  the	
  tracks	
  
from	
  her.	
  	
  I’m	
  unsure	
  of	
  what	
  previous	
  experiences	
  she	
  may	
  have	
  had	
  prior	
  to	
  
our	
  partnership,	
  but	
  I	
  was	
  constantly	
  trying	
  to	
  earn	
  her	
  trust,	
  which	
  could	
  be	
  
draining	
  at	
  times.	
  Regardless	
  I	
  always	
  took	
  pride	
  in	
  being	
  professional	
  and	
  
treating	
  people	
  the	
  way	
  that	
  I	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  be	
  treated.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
I	
  had	
  to	
  hunt	
  her	
  down	
  majority	
  of	
  the	
  time	
  and	
  getting	
  tasks	
  completed	
  
seemed	
  to	
  frequently	
  revolve	
  around	
  her	
  schedule	
  and	
  availability.	
  	
  During	
  the	
  
last	
  few	
  weeks	
  of	
  finishing	
  up	
  her	
  EP	
  she	
  was	
  MIA	
  (missing	
  in	
  action).	
  The	
  only	
  
means	
  of	
  communication	
  that	
  she	
  has	
  are	
  either	
  email	
  or	
  Facebook.	
  	
  She	
  doesn’t	
  
have	
  internet	
  at	
  home	
  so	
  I	
  was	
  limited	
  with	
  ways	
  to	
  contact	
  her.	
  	
  It	
  blatantly	
  
seemed	
  that	
  she	
  didn’t	
  want	
  to	
  work	
  anymore.	
  	
  
She	
  expressed	
  to	
  me	
  in	
  mid-­‐March	
  that	
  she	
  had	
  no	
  desire	
  to	
  perform	
  in	
  
Valencia	
  and	
  that	
  she	
  disliked	
  being	
  in	
  Spain.	
  	
  During	
  the	
  month	
  of	
  June	
  she	
  
followed	
  that	
  statement	
  up	
  with	
  stating	
  “I	
  no	
  longer	
  have	
  the	
  desire	
  to	
  sing	
  
anymore.”	
  As	
  an	
  A&R/manager	
  this	
  is	
  the	
  last	
  type	
  of	
  statement	
  you	
  ever	
  want	
  to	
  
hear	
  from	
  an	
  artist.	
  My	
  heart	
  dropped	
  in	
  that	
  moment	
  because	
  she	
  was	
  ready	
  to	
  
give	
  up	
  on	
  her	
  dream!	
  She	
  was	
  ready	
  to	
  give	
  up	
  on	
  her	
  goals	
  because	
  she	
  wasn’t	
  
happy	
  with	
  her	
  experience	
  in	
  Spain.	
  	
  I	
  continuously	
  stayed	
  in	
  her	
  ear	
  about	
  all	
  of	
  
the	
  positive	
  things	
  she	
  had	
  done	
  and	
  how	
  hard	
  she	
  had	
  been	
  working	
  on	
  her	
  
	
  

12	
  

tracks	
  and	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  time	
  that	
  had	
  been	
  dedicated	
  to	
  her	
  project.	
  It	
  would’ve	
  been	
  
a	
  smack	
  in	
  the	
  face	
  to	
  her	
  and	
  to	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  other	
  people	
  who	
  had	
  devoted	
  their	
  
time	
  to	
  her	
  project.	
  
	
  
Cassandra	
  was	
  also	
  selected	
  for	
  the	
  A&R	
  listening	
  session	
  with	
  Yung	
  Guru	
  
and	
  Sean	
  C.	
  Yung	
  Guru	
  was	
  completely	
  enamored	
  with	
  her	
  cover	
  of	
  Cesaria	
  
Evora’s	
  track	
  “Sodade.”	
  There	
  seemed	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  light	
  at	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  the	
  tunnel	
  during	
  
that	
  week!	
  	
  In	
  that	
  moment	
  I	
  saw	
  a	
  flicker	
  of	
  hope	
  in	
  her	
  eye,	
  but	
  sadly	
  it	
  burned	
  
out	
  a	
  few	
  weeks	
  later.	
  I	
  was	
  hopeful	
  that	
  this	
  would	
  be	
  that	
  extra	
  push	
  that	
  she	
  
needed	
  to	
  put	
  her	
  back	
  on	
  track.	
  	
  	
  She	
  has	
  been	
  in	
  a	
  terrible	
  slump…a	
  downward	
  
spiral	
  of	
  negativity.	
  	
  I’ve	
  tried	
  talking	
  to	
  her	
  and	
  even	
  referring	
  other	
  people	
  that	
  
she	
  holds	
  to	
  high	
  regard	
  to	
  speak	
  with	
  her	
  and	
  provide	
  her	
  with	
  words	
  of	
  
encouragement.	
  She	
  stated	
  that	
  she	
  wanted	
  to	
  go	
  back	
  to	
  “Corporate	
  America”	
  
although	
  she	
  told	
  me	
  after	
  meeting	
  her	
  that	
  she	
  hated	
  that	
  environment	
  and	
  that	
  
was	
  why	
  she	
  came	
  to	
  Berklee	
  Valencia.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
It’s	
  sad	
  to	
  potentially	
  witness	
  a	
  person	
  with	
  so	
  much	
  talent	
  give	
  up.	
  	
  As	
  an	
  
A&R/manager	
  this	
  has	
  been	
  a	
  difficult	
  position	
  to	
  be	
  in.	
  	
  At	
  first	
  I	
  felt	
  like	
  I	
  had	
  
started	
  to	
  fail	
  her	
  when	
  she	
  first	
  mentioned	
  her	
  doubts	
  and	
  reservations.	
  I	
  was	
  
thinking	
  of	
  all	
  the	
  ways	
  that	
  I	
  could	
  help	
  her,	
  but	
  I	
  realized	
  that	
  she	
  didn’t	
  want	
  
to	
  help	
  herself.	
  	
  The	
  last	
  month	
  of	
  school	
  she	
  became	
  unresponsive	
  and	
  
somewhat	
  uncooperative.	
  	
  She	
  even	
  told	
  me	
  that	
  she	
  didn’t	
  need	
  help	
  anymore	
  
and	
  	
  that	
  she	
  could	
  finish	
  everything	
  on	
  her	
  own.	
  She	
  wasn’t	
  always	
  organized	
  
and	
  often	
  didn’t	
  inform	
  me	
  that	
  she	
  booked	
  sessions	
  or	
  I	
  would	
  receive	
  a	
  last	
  
minute	
  notice.	
  	
  Regardless	
  I	
  would	
  try	
  my	
  best	
  to	
  accommodate	
  her	
  needs.	
  
	
  

13	
  

	
  
I	
  provided	
  her	
  with	
  constructive	
  feedback	
  and	
  positive	
  recommendations	
  
from	
  my	
  jury	
  member	
  (which	
  she	
  rarely	
  took	
  heed	
  to).	
  	
  She	
  agreed	
  to	
  let	
  me	
  help	
  
her	
  manage	
  her	
  social	
  media	
  platforms,	
  which	
  then	
  turned	
  into	
  me	
  giving	
  her	
  
social	
  media	
  tips	
  since	
  she	
  reluctantly	
  wanted	
  to	
  give	
  me	
  access	
  to	
  her	
  accounts	
  
towards	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  our.	
  I	
  created	
  a	
  social	
  media	
  campaign	
  template	
  for	
  her	
  as	
  
well	
  (attached.)	
  	
  She	
  really	
  wanted	
  to	
  be	
  in	
  control,	
  and	
  she	
  always	
  was.	
  	
  I	
  always	
  
let	
  her	
  know	
  that	
  from	
  the	
  beginning	
  I	
  was	
  just	
  here	
  to	
  guide	
  her,	
  not	
  take	
  the	
  
wheel	
  away	
  from	
  her.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
I	
  expected	
  more	
  from	
  her	
  and	
  I	
  was	
  disappointed	
  at	
  the	
  outcome.	
  	
  I	
  don’t	
  
believe	
  that	
  she	
  was	
  appreciative	
  at	
  times	
  of	
  my	
  presence	
  and	
  support.	
  She	
  
wasn’t	
  the	
  most	
  joyful	
  artist	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  since	
  she	
  was	
  coping	
  with	
  various	
  
things	
  that	
  brought	
  down	
  her	
  energy/light.	
  	
  If	
  we	
  were	
  bound	
  by	
  a	
  contractual	
  
agreement,	
  I	
  would’ve	
  considered	
  dissolving	
  it	
  because	
  she	
  eventually	
  was	
  
uncooperative.	
  	
  Unfortunately	
  she	
  was	
  her	
  own	
  worse	
  enemy	
  and	
  there	
  wasn’t	
  
much	
  I	
  could	
  do	
  to	
  change	
  her	
  mind.	
  	
  I’ve	
  remained	
  positive	
  throughout.	
  	
  An	
  
artist	
  can’t	
  expect	
  to	
  be	
  successful	
  with	
  just	
  talent	
  alone,	
  hard	
  work	
  pays	
  off.	
  	
  She	
  
actually	
  had	
  the	
  audacity	
  to	
  ask	
  me	
  towards	
  the	
  end	
  “what	
  have	
  you	
  done	
  for	
  
me?”	
  
	
  
Let’s	
  run	
  down	
  what	
  exactly	
  my	
  value	
  was	
  to	
  her	
  project.	
  	
  Cassandra	
  had	
  no	
  
visibility	
  online	
  whatsoever.	
  	
  Why	
  make	
  music	
  to	
  only	
  keep	
  it	
  on	
  your	
  laptop	
  or	
  
submit	
  it	
  to	
  a	
  black	
  hole	
  that	
  people	
  will	
  never	
  see	
  or	
  know	
  about	
  because	
  there	
  
is	
  no	
  engagement	
  or	
  connectedness?	
  	
  	
  I	
  facilitated	
  the	
  creation	
  and	
  updates	
  of	
  her	
  
	
  

14	
  

social	
  media	
  pages	
  (i.e.	
  Facebook	
  Fan	
  page,	
  Twitter,	
  Instagram,	
  SoundCloud,	
  
etc.).	
  She	
  solely	
  owned	
  an	
  outdated	
  website,	
  and	
  respective	
  outdated	
  YouTube	
  
and	
  SoundCloud	
  accounts.	
  	
  With	
  the	
  minimal	
  cooperation	
  that	
  she	
  did	
  offer	
  we	
  
were	
  able	
  to	
  create	
  some	
  traction.	
  I	
  feverishly	
  assisted	
  her	
  with	
  identifying	
  her	
  
brand	
  and	
  attempting	
  to	
  build	
  it.	
  	
  She	
  is	
  now	
  able	
  to	
  leave	
  from	
  Berklee	
  with	
  
professional	
  photos,	
  interview	
  footage	
  and	
  behind	
  the	
  scenes	
  content,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  
an	
  amazing	
  EP	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  used	
  as	
  a	
  stepping-­‐stone	
  to	
  build	
  her	
  Jazz	
  repertoire	
  
and	
  to	
  establish	
  her	
  brand.	
  With	
  my	
  dedication	
  and	
  coordination	
  to	
  both	
  our	
  
personal	
  goals,	
  I	
  do	
  not	
  believe	
  that	
  she	
  would	
  have	
  these	
  tools.	
  	
  She	
  recorded	
  
five	
  songs	
  and	
  we	
  have	
  been	
  promoting	
  the	
  lead	
  single	
  “Sodade.”	
  	
  	
  Her	
  track	
  
listing	
  can	
  be	
  found	
  below.	
  
Cassandra’s	
  EP—“The	
  Mediterranean	
  Experience”	
  
Track	
  listing:	
  
1. Sodade	
  
2. Petit	
  Pay	
  
3. Angola	
  
4. Besame	
  Mucho	
  
5. Drumm	
  
	
  
“Sodade”	
  was	
  chosen	
  as	
  the	
  lead	
  single	
  because	
  it	
  embodied	
  her	
  ideal	
  of	
  
combining/fusing	
  Jazz	
  with	
  Mediterranean	
  influences.	
  Her	
  voice	
  flows	
  
seamlessly	
  over	
  the	
  arrangements.	
  She	
  sings	
  beautifully	
  in	
  Portuguese,	
  although	
  
she	
  didn’t	
  know	
  the	
  language.	
  	
  Honestly,	
  I’m	
  a	
  fan	
  of	
  her	
  rendition	
  of	
  the	
  song	
  
over	
  the	
  original.	
  	
  	
  
This	
  single	
  showcases	
  her	
  potential	
  and	
  the	
  range	
  of	
  her	
  musical	
  identity.	
  	
  I’m	
  
continuing	
  to	
  encourage	
  her	
  to	
  sing,	
  because	
  this	
  song	
  showcases	
  how	
  talented	
  
of	
  an	
  artist	
  she	
  really	
  is.	
  Hopefully	
  she’ll	
  search	
  within	
  herself	
  to	
  seek	
  the	
  peace	
  
and	
  inner	
  happiness	
  that	
  she	
  lacks.	
  	
  I	
  realized	
  that	
  although	
  people	
  may	
  not	
  
appreciate	
  you	
  at	
  times	
  or	
  may	
  seem	
  uncooperative,	
  that	
  I	
  still	
  had	
  to	
  maintain	
  
	
  

15	
  

my	
  work	
  ethic	
  and	
  still	
  meet	
  the	
  goals	
  the	
  best	
  that	
  I	
  could.	
  I	
  always	
  needed	
  a	
  
backup	
  plan	
  or	
  two.	
  Although	
  things	
  may	
  have	
  taken	
  a	
  detour	
  recurrently,	
  
eventually	
  they	
  would	
  get	
  back	
  on	
  course.	
  I	
  refused	
  to	
  give	
  up…	
  
	
  
Next	
  	
  Step:	
  
	
  
After	
  this	
  realistic	
  experience	
  of	
  management,	
  I	
  realized	
  that	
  I’m	
  equipped	
  
more	
  now	
  than	
  ever	
  to	
  enter	
  this	
  field.	
  	
  Although	
  there	
  may	
  be	
  bumps	
  in	
  the	
  road	
  
along	
  the	
  way,	
  it	
  doesn’t	
  mean	
  that	
  there	
  isn’t	
  a	
  light	
  at	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  the	
  tunnel.	
  	
  I	
  
was	
  challenged	
  at	
  times,	
  but	
  I	
  had	
  to	
  remain	
  optimistic.	
  Overall	
  I	
  achieved	
  my	
  
goal	
  of	
  finding	
  	
  happiness	
  in	
  this	
  profession,	
  and	
  I	
  hope	
  that	
  there	
  were	
  times	
  
were	
  my	
  artists	
  were	
  happy	
  as	
  well.	
  I	
  can’t	
  categorize	
  either	
  of	
  my	
  experiences	
  
or	
  hold	
  any	
  type	
  of	
  bias	
  because	
  each	
  artist	
  relationship	
  will	
  be	
  different.	
  	
  The	
  
unknown	
  component	
  of	
  what	
  to	
  expect	
  can	
  be	
  taxing	
  but	
  also	
  exciting	
  as	
  well.	
  	
  
The	
  positive	
  facet	
  of	
  being	
  able	
  to	
  build	
  with	
  an	
  artist	
  and	
  establish	
  great	
  
chemistry	
  and	
  rapport	
  while	
  building	
  our	
  respective	
  brands	
  will	
  continuously	
  
inspire	
  me.	
  	
  
	
  

I	
  will	
  continue	
  to	
  pursue	
  a	
  career	
  in	
  this	
  field	
  and	
  I’m	
  optimistic	
  about	
  the	
  

opportunity	
  of	
  working	
  with	
  a	
  label	
  or	
  artist	
  management	
  company	
  after	
  
graduation.	
  	
  I	
  also	
  realized	
  that	
  I	
  enjoyed	
  social	
  media	
  management	
  as	
  well.	
  	
  I’ve	
  
recognized	
  the	
  added	
  value	
  of	
  social	
  media	
  management	
  throughout	
  my	
  time	
  at	
  
Berklee	
  and	
  I’ve	
  gained	
  a	
  deeper	
  understanding	
  with	
  this	
  project	
  and	
  how	
  it	
  can	
  
be	
  used	
  as	
  a	
  tool	
  to	
  assist	
  artists.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  use	
  websites	
  such	
  as	
  HootSuite	
  to	
  
obtain	
  data	
  analytics	
  and	
  insights	
  on	
  how	
  goals	
  were	
  being	
  met	
  or	
  what	
  things	
  
could	
  be	
  taken	
  to	
  achieve	
  those	
  goals.	
  	
  Data	
  analytics	
  is	
  also	
  changing	
  the	
  way	
  
that	
  A&Rs/artist	
  managers	
  develop	
  their	
  artists,	
  and	
  I	
  feel	
  that	
  I’m	
  a	
  step	
  ahead.	
  	
  

	
  

16	
  

With	
  these	
  tools	
  and	
  the	
  enhancement	
  of	
  my	
  skill	
  set	
  I	
  look	
  forward	
  to	
  the	
  road	
  
ahead.	
  	
  
	
  

Additionally,	
  I	
  met	
  individually	
  with	
  each	
  artist	
  and	
  gave	
  them	
  feedback	
  

about	
  our	
  experience	
  and	
  social	
  media	
  tips	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  useful	
  in	
  addition	
  to	
  the	
  
resources	
  that	
  they’re	
  now	
  equipped	
  with.	
  	
  I	
  wish	
  them	
  both	
  the	
  very	
  best	
  in	
  
their	
  future	
  endeavors	
  and	
  with	
  continuing	
  to	
  pursue	
  their	
  goals	
  and	
  dreams.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Contribution	
  To	
  The	
  Discipline/Profession:	
  
	
  
This	
  will	
  assist	
  me	
  in	
  the	
  artists	
  &	
  repertoire/management	
  fields	
  by	
  
having	
  the	
  opportunity	
  to	
  oversee	
  multiple	
  projects	
  by	
  different	
  artists	
  at	
  the	
  
same	
  time.	
  	
  This	
  enables	
  me	
  to	
  obtain	
  a	
  realistic	
  opportunity	
  and	
  idea	
  of	
  the	
  
duties	
  that	
  an	
  artist	
  &	
  repertoire	
  representative	
  must	
  fulfill.	
  Throughout	
  my	
  
studies	
  here	
  at	
  Berklee	
  Valencia,	
  courses	
  such	
  as	
  artist	
  management,	
  social	
  
media	
  management,	
  the	
  record	
  label	
  practicum,	
  and	
  “how	
  to	
  market	
  a	
  record,”	
  
aided	
  in	
  expanding	
  my	
  knowledge	
  in	
  the	
  A&R/artist	
  management	
  field.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  
able	
  to	
  apply	
  various	
  concepts	
  to	
  real-­‐life	
  situations.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  This	
  project	
  contributes	
  to	
  enabling	
  me	
  with	
  my	
  career	
  endeavors	
  to	
  be	
  
more	
  adept	
  in	
  the	
  profession	
  of	
  working	
  directly	
  with	
  artists	
  and	
  supervising	
  
their	
  projects	
  from	
  start	
  to	
  finish	
  to	
  ensure	
  a	
  high	
  quality	
  work.	
  	
  The	
  EPs	
  will	
  be	
  
utilized	
  as	
  tools	
  for	
  these	
  artists	
  to	
  use	
  as	
  they	
  continue	
  to	
  develop	
  and	
  promote	
  
their	
  talents	
  and	
  music	
  careers.	
  	
  These	
  EPs	
  will	
  be	
  definitive	
  of	
  who	
  they	
  are	
  

	
  

17	
  

creatively	
  and	
  artistically	
  and	
  will	
  hopefully	
  serve	
  as	
  a	
  stepping-­‐stone	
  in	
  
attaining	
  the	
  next	
  step	
  in	
  reaching	
  their	
  goals.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Other:	
  
	
  
I	
  am	
  very	
  appreciative	
  for	
  the	
  support	
  of	
  my	
  jury	
  member,	
  Gwendolyn	
  
Alston	
  and	
  also	
  of	
  the	
  vital	
  feedback	
  and	
  support	
  from	
  my	
  program	
  director,	
  
Emilien	
  Moyon	
  who	
  also	
  served	
  as	
  my	
  advisor	
  throughout	
  the	
  course	
  of	
  my	
  
culminating	
  experience.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  meet	
  individually	
  with	
  each	
  of	
  them	
  
regularly	
  which	
  contributed	
  to	
  the	
  success	
  of	
  my	
  project.	
  	
  Gwendolyn	
  was	
  
instrumental	
  in	
  the	
  creation	
  of	
  the	
  social	
  media	
  campaign	
  plans/templates	
  that	
  I	
  
established	
  for	
  each	
  artist.	
  I	
  genuinely	
  felt	
  encouraged	
  and	
  supported	
  
throughout.	
  	
  This	
  experience	
  will	
  forever	
  be	
  embedded	
  in	
  my	
  memory	
  for	
  
various	
  reasons	
  and	
  the	
  positive	
  aspects	
  outweigh	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  adversity	
  that	
  I	
  
faced.	
  	
  I	
  will	
  continue	
  to	
  lace	
  up	
  my	
  boots	
  and	
  take	
  on	
  the	
  world.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

18	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

-

	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Social	
  Media	
  Campaign	
  Overview	
  

	
  

	
  
-

	
  

Our	
  5	
  Step	
  Plan:	
  
What	
  do	
  you	
  want?	
  	
  
Who	
  is	
  your	
  audience?	
  	
  
Where	
  do	
  they	
  hang	
  out?	
  	
  
How	
  do	
  you	
  want	
  to	
  reach	
  them?	
  	
  
What	
  do	
  you	
  want	
  to	
  achieve	
  with	
  them?	
  

These	
  are	
  the	
  5	
  Important	
  Rules	
  of	
  Social	
  Media:	
  

1.	
  Listen	
  	
  
2.	
  Engage	
  	
  	
  
3.	
  Ask/Act	
  	
  	
  
4.	
  Analyze	
  
5.	
  Adjust	
  
	
  

Artist	
  Background:	
  Lyncia	
  Pivert	
  
	
  

What	
  asset	
  do	
  you	
  own	
  or	
  control	
  that	
  provides	
  a	
  competitive	
  advantage	
  in	
  a	
  given	
  
market?	
  	
  
Quality	
  of	
  music,	
  bilingual	
  (French/English)	
  
	
  
Style:	
  	
  Gospel,	
  Southern	
  Gospel,	
  Praise	
  and	
  Worship,	
  Soul-­‐ful,	
  Neo-­‐Soul,	
  Afro-­‐Carribean,	
  
Soul	
  
	
  
Entertainment	
  product	
  (band,	
  label,	
  artist,	
  song):	
  	
  Inspirational	
  music,	
  Gospel	
  
artista/music	
  
	
  
Asset:	
  Music	
  
	
  
Competitive	
  advantage	
  (what	
  will	
  motivate	
  people	
  to	
  follow	
  you,	
  listen	
  to	
  your	
  music,	
  buy	
  
your	
  product,	
  spread	
  the	
  word?):	
  	
  
	
  
Afro-­‐Carribean	
  cultural	
  roots,	
  bilingual,	
  her	
  musical	
  background/journey.	
  
Key	
  words:	
  	
  Gospel,	
  Worship,	
  Soul,	
  Guyana,	
  RnB,	
  NeoSoul	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

19	
  

1.	
  	
  Who	
  is	
  your	
  audience?	
  
	
  

Audience	
  (fans,	
  family,	
  influencers,	
  include	
  core,	
  secondary	
  and	
  tertiary…):	
  	
  
	
  	
  
Core	
  audience-­‐Male/Female	
  (18-­‐40)	
  
Secondary-­‐	
  Church	
  goers	
  
Tertiary-­‐Family,	
  friends,	
  influencers	
  
	
  
Where	
  does	
  your	
  audience	
  hang	
  out?:	
  
	
  
Audience	
  
Online	
  
Offline	
  
Core	
  
Instagram,	
  Twitter,	
  Facebook,	
  
Church,	
  Gospel	
  
YouTube	
  
concert	
  
Secondary	
  
Instagram,	
  Facebook,	
  Twitter,	
  
Church,	
  Gospel	
  
YouTube	
  
concert	
  
Tertiary	
  
Instagram,	
  Twitter	
  
Church,	
  Gospel	
  
concert	
  
	
  

	
  
2.	
  	
  Goals	
  
	
  
Objectives:	
  To	
  gain	
  a	
  fan	
  base/following,	
  gain	
  visibility	
  across	
  multiple	
  platforms,	
  launch	
  
her	
  career,	
  and	
  to	
  engage	
  with	
  followers.	
  
	
  
Timeline:	
  Four	
  months	
  
	
  

3.	
  	
  Resources	
  
	
  

Social	
  media	
  platforms:	
  None;	
  Owns	
  a	
  personal	
  Facebook	
  page	
  
	
  
Goals:	
  Create	
  Facebook	
  Fan	
  Page,	
  Twitter,	
  and	
  SoundCloud	
  accounts	
  	
  
	
  
Facebook	
  
Twitter	
  
SoundCloud	
  
YouTube	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

206	
  
60	
  
8	
  
9	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Website	
  platforms:	
  
	
  
www.youtube.com/channel/UCLt8E1PEcA4vFTAnEb2HBLQ/videos	
  
	
  www.about.me/lyncia.pivert	
  
	
  www.facebook.com/LynciaSeph	
  
https://soundcloud.com/lynn-­‐42	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Elements	
  on	
  website	
  (blog,	
  video,	
  ecommerce…):	
  Videos,	
  content,	
  photos,	
  articles,	
  music.	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

20	
  

4.	
  	
  Engagement	
  
	
  

Calender	
  of	
  social	
  media	
  activity:	
  
	
  
Xx	
  videos	
  week/month/trimester	
  (Weekly)	
  Goal-­‐Once	
  a	
  Week	
  
Xx	
  tweets	
  day/week	
  10	
  Tweets	
  per	
  day	
  
Xx	
  FB	
  posts	
  day/week	
  Goal-­‐1-­‐2x	
  a	
  week	
  
	
  
	
  
Online	
  actions	
  (social	
  media	
  activity,	
  crowdfunding,	
  videos,	
  audio,	
  games,	
  chats,	
  google	
  
hangouts):	
  
	
  
Create	
  social	
  media	
  pages:	
  Facebook	
  Fan	
  Page,	
  SoundCloud,	
  and	
  Twitter	
  
	
  
• Upload	
  content	
  such	
  as	
  articles,	
  videos,	
  and	
  music	
  clips	
  
• Interact	
  with	
  audience	
  
• Tweet/	
  post	
  on	
  social	
  media	
  regularly	
  re:	
  shows/live	
  events/,	
  studio	
  footage,	
  
studio	
  versions	
  of	
  songs,	
  engage	
  in	
  dialogue	
  with	
  fans.	
  
	
  
Offline	
  actions	
  (events,	
  gigs,	
  flashmobs,	
  house	
  parties…):	
  	
  
Performances	
  
Film	
  footage	
  for	
  social	
  media	
  
	
  
	
  
Potential	
  partners	
  online	
  and	
  offline	
  (bloggers,	
  industry	
  leaders,	
  organizations,	
  
corporations,	
  local	
  businesses…):	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Online:	
  Gospel	
  artists,	
  Churches,	
  Charities,	
  Religious	
  organizations/affiliations,	
  bloggers,	
  
local	
  artists	
  
	
  
Offline:	
  Perform/partner	
  with	
  Gospel	
  artists,	
  churches,	
  religious	
  organizations.	
  
	
  
	
  
Actions	
  with	
  potential	
  partners:	
  Song	
  collaborations,	
  performances,	
  awareness,	
  
promotion,	
  etc.	
  
	
  

5.Results	
  
	
  

	
  
Evaluation	
  (analytics,	
  fans	
  and	
  followers,	
  etc.):	
  
	
  
Facebook:	
  206	
  Likes	
  
Twitter:	
  60	
  Followers	
  
SoundCloud:	
  8	
  Followers	
  
YouTube:	
  9	
  Followers	
  
Next	
  actions	
  (based	
  on	
  analysis	
  of	
  results):	
  

	
  	
  

•
•

	
  

Continue	
  to	
  post	
  regularly	
  (photos,	
  music,	
  content,	
  etc.)	
  according	
  to	
  the	
  
goals	
  mentioned	
  in	
  the	
  engagement	
  section.	
  
Adjust	
  your	
  posts	
  to	
  match	
  the	
  level	
  of	
  engagement	
  that	
  you	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  
achieve	
  with	
  your	
  followers/fans/audience.	
  

21	
  

	
  
**Here	
  is	
  a	
  useful	
  table	
  that	
  will	
  assist	
  you	
  about	
  what	
  the	
  best	
  time	
  to	
  
post.**	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

22	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

-

	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  

Social	
  Media	
  Campaign	
  Overview	
  

	
  

	
  
-

	
  

Our	
  5	
  Step	
  Plan:	
  
What	
  do	
  you	
  want?	
  	
  
Who	
  is	
  your	
  audience?	
  	
  
Where	
  do	
  they	
  hang	
  out?	
  	
  
How	
  do	
  you	
  want	
  to	
  reach	
  them?	
  	
  
What	
  do	
  you	
  want	
  to	
  achieve	
  with	
  them?	
  

These	
  are	
  the	
  5	
  Important	
  Rules	
  of	
  Social	
  Media:	
  

1.	
  Listen	
  	
  
2.	
  Engage	
  	
  	
  
3.	
  Ask/Act	
  	
  	
  
4.	
  Analyze	
  
5.	
  Adjust	
  
	
  

Artist	
  Background:	
  Cassandra	
  Allen	
  
	
  

What	
  asset	
  do	
  you	
  own	
  or	
  control	
  that	
  provides	
  a	
  competitive	
  advantage	
  in	
  a	
  given	
  
market?	
  	
  
Classically	
  trained	
  vocalist,	
  grew	
  up	
  singing	
  classical	
  music	
  in	
  the	
  Placido	
  Domingo	
  
Children’s	
  Choir,	
  fuses	
  genres	
  together	
  to	
  create	
  a	
  unique	
  sound.	
  
	
  
Style:	
  	
  Jazz,	
  Mediterranean,	
  R&B,	
  Soul,	
  Neo-­‐Soul	
  
	
  
Entertainment	
  product	
  (band,	
  label,	
  artist,	
  song):	
  	
  Music,	
  Fusion	
  of	
  Jazz	
  and	
  
Mediterranean	
  inspired	
  songs	
  
	
  
Asset:	
  Music	
  
	
  
Competitive	
  advantage	
  (what	
  will	
  motivate	
  people	
  to	
  follow	
  you,	
  listen	
  to	
  your	
  music,	
  buy	
  
your	
  product,	
  spread	
  the	
  word?):	
  	
  
	
  
Musical	
  background,	
  vocal	
  range,	
  emotional	
  depth/connection,	
  passion	
  
Key	
  words:	
  	
  #CassandrasVoice,	
  #Jazz,	
  #MusicIsLife,	
  #Sodade	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  

	
  

23	
  

1.	
  	
  Who	
  is	
  your	
  audience?	
  
	
  

Audience	
  (fans,	
  family,	
  influencers,	
  include	
  core,	
  secondary	
  and	
  tertiary…):	
  	
  
	
  	
  
Core	
  audience-­‐Male/Female	
  (18-­‐60)	
  
Secondary-­‐	
  Classical	
  music	
  aficionados,	
  Jazz	
  fans	
  
Tertiary-­‐Family,	
  friends,	
  influencers,	
  R&B,	
  Neo-­‐soul	
  fans	
  
	
  
Where	
  does	
  your	
  audience	
  hang	
  out?:	
  
	
  
Audience	
  
Online	
  
Offline	
  
Core	
  
Instagram,	
  Twitter,	
  Facebook,	
  
Concerts	
  
YouTube	
  
Secondary	
  
Instagram,	
  Facebook,	
  Twitter,	
  
Concerts	
  
YouTube	
  
Tertiary	
  
Instagram,	
  Twitter	
  
Concerts	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  
2.	
  	
  Goals	
  
	
  
Objectives:	
  To	
  increase	
  her	
  fan	
  base/following,	
  build	
  her	
  brand	
  presence,	
  gain	
  visibility	
  
across	
  multiple	
  platforms,	
  promote	
  awareness	
  about	
  her	
  projects,	
  and	
  to	
  interact	
  with	
  
fans.	
  
	
  
Timeline:	
  Four	
  months	
  
	
  

3.	
  	
  Resources	
  
	
  

Social	
  media	
  platforms:	
  Owns	
  a	
  personal	
  Facebook	
  page	
  and	
  outdated	
  YouTube	
  Channel	
  
	
  
Goals:	
  Create	
  Facebook	
  Fan	
  Page,	
  Twitter,	
  and	
  SoundCloud	
  accounts	
  	
  
	
  
Facebook	
  
Twitter	
  
SoundCloud	
  
Instagram	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
60	
  
85	
  
392	
  
411	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Website	
  platforms:	
  
	
  
www.facebook.com/CassandraAllensVoice	
  
https://soundcloud.com/CassandrasVoice	
  
	
  	
  www.twitter.com/CassandrasVoice	
  
	
  www.about.me/casssandra.allen3	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Elements	
  on	
  website	
  (blog,	
  video,	
  ecommerce…):	
  Videos,	
  content,	
  photos,	
  articles,	
  music.	
  
	
  

	
  

24	
  

4.	
  	
  Engagement	
  
	
  

Calender	
  of	
  social	
  media	
  activity:	
  
	
  
Xx	
  videos	
  week/month/trimester	
  (Weekly)	
  Goal-­‐Twice	
  a	
  Week	
  
Xx	
  tweets	
  day/week	
  20	
  Tweets	
  per	
  day	
  
Xx	
  FB	
  posts	
  day/week	
  Goal-­‐2x	
  a	
  week	
  
	
  
	
  
Online	
  actions	
  (social	
  media	
  activity,	
  crowdfunding,	
  videos,	
  audio,	
  games,	
  chats,	
  google	
  
hangouts):	
  
	
  
*Create	
  social	
  media	
  pages:	
  Facebook	
  Fan	
  Page,	
  Twitter,	
  Instagram	
  
*Update	
  SoundCloud	
  and	
  YouTube	
  platforms	
  
• Upload	
  content	
  such	
  as	
  articles,	
  videos,	
  and	
  music	
  clips	
  
• Interact	
  with	
  audience	
  
• Tweet/	
  post	
  on	
  social	
  media	
  regularly	
  re:	
  shows/live	
  events/,	
  studio	
  footage,	
  
studio	
  versions	
  of	
  songs,	
  engage	
  in	
  dialogue	
  with	
  fans.	
  
	
  
Offline	
  actions	
  (events,	
  gigs,	
  flashmobs,	
  house	
  parties…):	
  	
  
Interviews	
  
Photo	
  shoots	
  
Performances	
  
Film	
  footage	
  for	
  social	
  media	
  
	
  
	
  
Potential	
  partners	
  online	
  and	
  offline	
  (bloggers,	
  industry	
  leaders,	
  organizations,	
  
corporations,	
  local	
  businesses…):	
  	
  	
  
	
  
Online:	
  Collaborations	
  with	
  classical	
  and	
  Jazz	
  artists,	
  organizations,	
  bloggers,	
  local	
  
businesses,	
  educational	
  institutions	
  that	
  support	
  classical	
  and	
  Jazz	
  music.	
  
	
  
Offline:	
  Perform/partner	
  with	
  Jazz	
  festivals/institutes,	
  network	
  with	
  fellow	
  artists	
  and	
  
musicians	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
Actions	
  with	
  potential	
  partners:	
  Song	
  collaborations,	
  performances,	
  awareness,	
  
promotion,	
  etc.	
  
	
  

5.Results	
  
	
  

Evaluation	
  (analytics,	
  fans	
  and	
  followers,	
  etc.):	
  
	
  
Facebook:	
  60	
  Likes	
  
Instagram:	
  411	
  Followers	
  
Twitter:	
  85	
  Followers	
  
SoundCloud:	
  392	
  Followers	
  
Next	
  actions	
  (based	
  on	
  analysis	
  of	
  results):	
  

	
  	
  

•

	
  

Continue	
  to	
  post	
  regularly	
  (photos,	
  music,	
  content,	
  etc.)	
  according	
  to	
  the	
  
goals	
  mentioned	
  in	
  the	
  engagement	
  section.	
  

25	
  

•

	
  

Adjust	
  your	
  posts	
  to	
  match	
  the	
  level	
  of	
  engagement	
  that	
  you	
  would	
  like	
  to	
  
achieve	
  with	
  your	
  followers/fans/audience.	
  

**Here	
  is	
  a	
  useful	
  table	
  that	
  will	
  assist	
  you	
  about	
  what	
  the	
  best	
  time	
  to	
  
post.**	
  

	
  

	
  

	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

26