Folk Alliance Newsletter

In 1999, I was asked to write the Agents Column for the Folk Alliance Newsletter. Here's what that's entailed so far:

1. Should I Even Be Looking?
2. The Search is On
3. Care and Feeding of Reps

(For more information on The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance, go to www.folk.org)

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance

Since 1997, I have done several panel presentations at the Northeast Folk Alliance in the Poconos. I have always done a handout for people to take with them. Seems the least you can do if they do you the courtesy of showing up to hear your ideas. What's contained herein may bear no relation to what I actually said but it was what I meant to say as I pondered the question by the glow of the computer screen a week before the actual conference.

• GRANTWRITING, FUNDRAISING AND SPONSORSHIP ('97, '98)
  
  
• STACKING THE DECK IN YOUR FAVOR: DO-IT-YOURSELF FOR ARTISTS AND AGENTS ('97)
  
  
• PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE SEATS: A TEAM APPROACH ('98)
  
  
• CREATIVE PRODUCT SALES ('98)
  
  
• COMMUNICATION ISSUES AFFECTING ARTISTS, REPS, PRESENTERS AND SOUND TECHS ('99)
  
  
• WRITING AND INTERPRETING CONTRACTS AND RIDERS ('99)
  
  
• GETTING WHAT YOU WANT ON A LIMITED BUDGET ('99)

Note: I would like to thank Molly Ross, the head of the Programming Committee for NEFA for inviting me to participate in these panels, thereby forcing me to clarify my own ideas. I also appreciate Dianne Tankle, the conference chairwoman, okaying the funds to pay for the xeroxing so I was able to do handouts. After all, if I hadn't gotten the go-ahead to write up these topics for NEFA, you sure wouldn't be reading them here!

(For more information on The Northeast Folk Alliance, go to www.nefolk.org)

Miscellany

A few years back, Joanne Murdoch of Artists of Note asked for some feedback on several questions she was addressing for an Agents column for Folk Alliance. The questions were:

• What do you look for in selecting a client?
  
  
• Have you ever decided to work with someone from a cold call?
  
  
• Do you have a wish list of clients with whom you would like to work?
  
  
• If you have decided to stop working with a client, what were some of the reasons why things don't work out? When did you know there was a problem?
  
  
• What constitutes a good partnership between an artist and you?

Here are my answers.

Surprise Bonus Track

Every now and again, something is so good that it needs to be shared even if it doesn't quite fit the criteria. David Tamulevich of Tamulevich Artist Management wrote this great article which was published in the June, 1999 issue of Performing Songwriter. This is the original copy that he sent them and I thought he managed to cover a lot of important points in a very limited space. Enjoy.

Working With An Agent by David Tamulevich