(Continue To) Declare Independence
Music was my first friend, my first love. Growing up in a predominately wealthy suburb in New Jersey and being born to Italian parents was no walk in the park, and from as far back as I can remember music has always been my companion. I had a difficult time connecting to my peers; partly by choice and partly by growing up with two different cultures which had me feeling baffled and unable to connect with my environment. What felt like every moment of my adolescence was spent in my bedroom listening to the entire catalogue of the Kill Rock Stars roster on vinyl, making ‘zines, and reading books. Granted, I listened to a lot of musical genres but KRS took precedence for a good portion of the time. I connected with artists like Bikini Kill , Sleater Kinney and Elliot Smith - their lyrics of angst, change, and loneliness, along with who they were (are) as people (or perhaps my idea of them as people), were my escape and my inspiration for what would become my dream for myself. I did of course go to high school, began working at age 14 and took on the role of additional parent in my house. But in my head I was creating my dream world where I was working with artists - spending time with them and helping them to cultivate their careers by bringing unique opportunities their way.
Call me a late bloomer but it took a bit of time for me to make the leap into the music industry, and what better place to be then New York City. After moving to New York and finishing my degree in Psychology, I became very good friends with an amazing musician and watched her career begin to grow from the ground up. Once I’d had enough of keeping my dream to myself I began to make my way into the industry, and through persistence and attending as many events involving music and the arts as possible, I managed to get that initial door open. Then I just kept jumping at any and all opportunities that came along which were of real interest to me.
My ultimate dream for the industry of independent music is that it continues to push boundaries not just in the music world but in the art world as a whole - eventually taking over. Of course music has always been there, that is not a new revelation. But the fact that the majority of independent music in the past was never considered included in the mainstream world, vs. now when it is picked up by publishers and placed in ads or feature films - means that major boundaries have been broken. One day soon a prolific artist such as M.I.A. will not be so intimidating to network TV as to be censored on shows like Letterman. And the more the industry grows and changes, the more involved and bigger the impact will be.
Along my journey I have met and continue to meet and work with many talented people behind the scenes and in front of audiences. These relationships made are analogous to a family; in fact, they are a family if one is fortunate enough. You may not like to be around every member of the extended family but surrounding yourself with members who are truly passionate about the same things, is vital when it comes to working together to continuously bring good music to the forefront.
Working in independent music is not a glamorous job and suffice it to say, it can feel like a thankless one at times. But, with the foundations of the mainstream/major label world being shaken up by the decreasing power of old marketing tactics to monopolize how music is purchased and the outlets where you can hear artists - the independent world has been able to make greater strides and have a stronger platform to be heard, melding more into the worlds of fine art, film and commerce, with each passing day.
So my advice to the artists and lovers of this art form is to remain true to the essence of yourself. Be true to your word and be persistent about the things you love. But please be honest about your intentions because most people today can see right through bullshit when it’s in front of them. Experience overall can only help to build your reputation. Whether it’s a positive or negative reputation is entirely up to you. In order to gain this experience, persistence and risk-taking cannot hurt. Even if you pick up the phone and call someone that inspires you simply to say, “I want to do this, how can I get there?” it’s always worth a shot. We can’t move forward for ourselves unless we take risks and make mistakes, and the world really is smaller than we think
