CHRIS FLETCHER
Coast to Coast Music
Music Biz Mentors
musicbizmentors.com
Chris Fletcher formed Coast to Coast Music, an independent touring and promotion company, in 1989. Since then, she has acted as a tour coordinator, and sometimes manager, for select acts. Today, Fletcher teaches Touring and Management at the Musicians Institute and serves as a career counselor. Her independent education program Music Biz Mentors produces 10 events per year. Currently, Fletcher has a limited number of artists on her roster and manages over 100 touring dates a year.
What should artists understand about management?
In the beginning, most artists have to manage themselves. When they’ve done it for a while, they will know what to expect from a manager.
What should artists do to get a manager?
It’s difficult to attract a manager if there’s not something going on already. Sometimes, if they have a budget, it might be better if they just hire someone to take care of things, like organizing email lists, updating your website, and helping with promotions and social media. Often, you can hire someone for $100 a month to do that.
What qualities should an artist look for in a manager?
Communication is the key. You have to be able to be honest and relate with each other. The ability to network is also important. Managers (and artists) need to form a network of contacts that could help them.
At first, artists might want to work with people on a short-term basis—maybe for three months to see if it works out. If it does, you can extend the time.
Why do you work with new acts?
I love watching artists grow and get successful. If I think they’ve got the goods to make it happen, I’ll talk with them. I need to know if they’ll follow my advice and really want to succeed. I also need to see them perform live because, today, that’s crucial for success.
What do you look for in artists?
I don’t work with anyone who doesn’t write their own songs. Even though the business is singles oriented, you can’t have a career that way. You have to be able to play at least an hour live—and, that’s a lot of material, 10 to 20 songs. I also prefer acts that know something about the business, and work hard at it. They have to do their part too.
What about vision and a plan?
That’s important because most artists don’t know what to do. I set up goals with timelines. We meet every week to discuss progress. Every 30 to 90 days we reassess where we are. We talk about where we want to be next year and how we’re going to get there.
How do you work with your acts?
I believe everyone should have a job. So, I give each member of a group an assignment. Everyone needs to do something, whether it’s handling merchandise, collecting money, promoting shows, or taking care of social media.
How has the role of management changed?
Today, managers take on more roles than they did in the past. Now, they act like artist development companies, involved with everything from song selection, to publicity, to marketing and licensing for placements—everything labels used to do.
What about performance guarantees in a management contract?
Results are important, but artists should also have performance conditions. They have to do their part as well. Unless everybody does what’s necessary, you won’t achieve your goals.
What should artists focus on?
They should learn how to perform live and how to entertain an audience––it’s not just about playing live, it’s about “performing.” They should also focus on what’s unique about them, what makes them different from everyone else. It could be a particular message or personal perspective. You need to find a way to stand out today.
What is Music Biz Mentors about?
I noticed that a lot of artists didn’t understand what they needed to do to make it in the music business. And, they didn’t have the money for a formal education. So, I designed a way for them to get the information they needed at a reasonable price.
What about supporting players? What do they need to do?
The biggest thing for musicians is to do music. They should connect with someone who writes songs and, hopefully, performs them well. If you’re a supporting musician, your career is going to depend on other people. So, try to find someone who has what it takes. •
