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The power of music makes every musician appear attractive. Whether one is a singer or a musical instrument player, once on stage, they become sex symbols to most of their fans. The strongest appeal a musician can make to his or her fans is emotionally. If a musician, through his/her singing or playing a musical instrument gets their fans’ emotions going, the fans forget their logic and become enslaved to the musicians. Thus, the musicians become their role models. They will ask their fans to do anything, and the fans will follow.
Some musicians also lose control and tend to exploit that situation. They are aware that music is so emotionally overpowering and they are ready to pounce on their vulnerable fans. Immoral sex and drug abuse become the order of the day. With these the musicians spend most of their earnings on girls and drugs. This explains why some of them, despite living large end up dying like paupers.
When Michael Jackson became popular for his crotch-grabbing style of dancing, we know for certain the thousands of young girls who threw away their virtue and innocence because of the lascivious music of Michael Jackson. Although arguably the world’s greatest entertainer and a gifted singer, Jackson’s works are a powerful influence on society. Many youths of his time idolized him and wanted to be associated with him due to the power of his music. The fans followed the messages that came out of his music which in turn influenced how they behaved in society. Jackson himself spent millions of dollars on useless items which, despite being a multi-millionaire, he ended up being impoverished. The need to make more money is what killed him as he took an overdose of drugs. If Jackson had had a proper mentor, this would not have happened.
I could list hundreds of popular singers and bands in Zimbabwe, whose music contains powerful messages which have in turn influenced the behaviour of thousands of their music fans, young and old, through their messages.
Whether you realise it or not, a song is a form of a religious sermon. Just as a sermon is intended to convey a message to the listener, so does music convey a message to the listener. It is interesting how the same person who will hypocritically criticize a preacher for yelling against sin from the pulpit will turn around and pay to go to a music concert where the singer yells praises at the top of his lungs about drug abuse and other immoral behaviours. The same people who complain that church is too long will join a long queue of thousands of music fans which might take 3 to 4 hours before they get tickets to get into the Toni Braxton concert.
It’s a matter of where your heart is at.
Musicians therefore need guidance and counselling. In addition to band managers, musicians also need mentors to guide them through their careers. One thing the musician ought to know is the fact that his/her career is seasonal. Look at yesteryear’s award winners. Where are they now? Very few musicians last for decades. A few examples include
The Rolling Stones, Oliver Mtukudzi and Bob Dylan who have made music their career for close to forty years and are still going strong. Even if you look at these exceptions, you will notice that they have also made mistakes in the course of their careers due to lack of proper guidance. Band managers could also act as mentors. Most band managers are in it for their own survival.
They do not care about the careless or reckless life their artiste may lead as long as they get their percentage of earnings from the musician’s income. However, band managers who are also good mentors, will advise their musician about how they should look after their finances; how they should carry themselves in public and how they can avoid disastrous situations.
Any band manager who has ever been involved in the administration of a band, particularly a band that has enjoyed some longevity, will tell you that “a band is just like a marriage”. The main difference is that the love is for the music, not necessarily for each other.
Nevertheless, the principles are the same when it comes to staying together
It is therefore important to mentor the band if the dynamics of the ‘marriage’ should be kept alive. A band manager-cum-mentor works closely with a music group to help make major decisions regarding the creative and business direction of the band. The manager is the person the musicians put in charge of the business side of the industry so that they can focus on making music. A manager-cum-mentor should therefore strive to satisfy the artiste’s needs by taking care of the artiste’s emotional and physical needs.
It is on understanding of individual responsibilities that the manager should be more proactive as a mentor. Some managers need to make their artiste understand that there is need for them to pry into the artiste’s private business if their relationship is to become stronger. We have instances of situations where great artistes made lots of money during their careers, but died like paupers at the end of their careers due to poor management of their finances.
A good example is the late John Chibadura who due to lack of sound mentorship ended up selling everything he had acquired over the years. When he died, he had nothing in his bank account. That was a disaster for someone who had been so prosperous in his lifetime. It is the role of the manager to guide the artistes’ career in the right direction. If John’s manager (I am not even sure he had one) had acted as a mentor during his career, such a disaster could have been avoided.
Control over money is a decision between the artiste and the manager. Although it is the duty of the manager to give guidance and protection to his artiste, the artiste should never allow the manager to be the sole signatory. It is either him with the artiste or with the artiste’s accountant. When there is an emergency, there is need to set up a second account. This is one business in which the artiste can fire the manager in case of serious misunderstandings.
It must be noted that there are no hard and fast rules for choosing a manager. Everything is subject to negotiation when it comes to the artiste choosing a manager and the working conditions thereof. The idea behind appointment of any manager is to employ someone who will further advance the artiste’s career. It is better to choose someone who has a keen interest in the music of the artist and who also understands the artiste as opposed to someone who just sees the band as an opportunity to make money. Artistes are encouraged to choose someone who will make a difference to their future. They also need to make sure the managers earn their money by relieving the artist of administrative burdens. The artiste should avoid unscrupulous and untalented managers. Wherever possible, it is advisable to get professional legal advice.
If you think management and artistes’ mentoring might be a good fit for you, take a look around you. Do you know any musicians who could use someone to help with their welfare and organize shows or manage their websites? Volunteer to help bands you know, even if it means working for free while you’re learning the ropes as most musicians need managers and mentors.
The duties required of a band manager vary greatly depending on the individual needs of the artist. Some managers focus exclusively on a few duties, such as advising the band on creative, business and personal decisions and assisting them in finding engagements.
Others take on multiple roles, such as booking agent, adviser, promoter and travel arranger. Managers often help the band members understand their responsibilities. Mentorship is not just about imparting knowledge, but about being a vessel for the musician in order to mould and shape him and his career. Mentorship costs a price, for both the mentor and the mentored, but it is what will bring fruit that truly remains.
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