Artist For Artist + Soho Works present

Artist Development in 2023: The Long & Winding Road

What does it take to break an artist in 2023? With a strong artist and team at the helm, what are today’s best practices to move the needle in creativity, marketing, touring, story building and fan acquisition? Hear from a panel of industry experts and artists while enjoying acoustic performances and refreshments. All attendees will receive a complimentary day pass to Soho Works and will also be eligible to win a brand new MDR70SB acoustic guitar (MSRP: $1,499) on site courtesy of our partners at Alvarez Guitars.

 

March 9th 6pm

Soho Works: 875 Washington St. New York, NY 10014

3rd Floor

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MODERATOR:

SHARON TAPPER (MUSIC MANAGERS FORUM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Sharon Tapper is the Executive Director of the Music Managers Forum-US, the leading trade association for artist managers and self-managed artists in the United States. Serving the music community by providing educational resources, networking opportunities and advocacy efforts on behalf of managers, self-managed artists and the community that supports them. The MMF-US is part of a larger global network, the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF) – an organization that connects more that sixty five Music Manager Forums around the world (inc. Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australasia). Prior to joining the MMF-US Tapper worked in London as the Assistant Manager at Sarm West Studios, before relocating to the U.S. where in Los Angeles she worked at both Left Bank Management and Gallin Morey Management. Shortly after moving to New York she transitioned into music publishing becoming the third U.S. employee at Kobalt Music Publishing and their VP Creative for eight years. Following that she was hired to be the SVP Music Publishing at Razor & Tie Music Publishing. Tapper was elected to serve multiple terms as Governor & Secretary of the NY Chapter of the GRAMMY’s, serving six consecutive terms and Co-Chair of their Advocacy Committee. She also served four years on the NY Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP). For ten years she Co-Funded and ran the New York City Creative Community (NYC3).

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PANELISTS:

LIZ NORRIS (ACTIVIST ARTISTS MANAGEMENT, PARTNER & HEAD OF MEDIA AND BRAND STRATEGY)

Liz Norris is a Partner at Activist Artists Management. As head of Activist’s New York office and Media and Brand Strategy Department, she is instrumental in advancing and sustaining the careers of all of Activist’s clients, including The Lumineers, Bobby Weir, the Grateful Dead, Dead & Company (co-manage with Azoff/Moir), Young The Giant, Dwight Yoakam, Brittney Spencer, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Empire of the Sun, along with actors Ken Watanabe and David Alan Grier, screenwriters Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, Godzilla Vs Kong), Jeff Eastin (White Collar), Oscar-winning media company Lion Forge Animation (Hair Love) and the Southern Poverty Law Center.  As the firm’s name suggests, Norris and her team are committed to making a positive impact on the world through activism. Norris leads promotional opportunities and creates awareness around awards campaigns, album releases, book releases, tours, film premieres and product launches. Her work ensures that the representation of Activist’s clients in the public eye maintains messaging that is both focused and consistent with an artist’s brand; this includes overseeing the execution of client media campaigns, developing and overseeing client narratives and editorial. As a result, Activist prioritizes protecting, maintaining and elevating clients’ public image. Norris was previously with Roar for fifteen years where she established the company’s New York presence. She was part of the team that managed three-time GRAMMY Award winner Zac Brown Band, growing them into a stadium act with seventeen #1 singles at multiple radio formats. Prior to Activist and Roar, Norris operated her own music management company based in Nashville. She graduated from James Madison University and is an active member of NARAS, ACM, AMA, and CMA and serves on the board of directors for WhyHunger.

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NOAH DEUTSCHMANN (TRIBE FRIDAY, ARTIST)

Noah Deutschmann (any pronouns) is a songwriter, producer, part-time designer and professional emo kid from the woods of Sweden. Their main creative outlet is as front person of indie quartet Tribe Friday, who in the last few years have gone from a small-town after-school project to a household name in their home country. As the driving force behind the band, Noah not only writes and produces the bulk of the sonic material, but also takes care of visual production, social media, fan activation, and more. Noah grew up in the independent alternative spaces of northern Sweden, where they learnt how to approach art with a great deal of DIY-spirit and love. Noah has a bachelor’s degree in music production and songwriting from Örebro University (one of Sweden’s leading music schools), and has also studied marketing and graphic design at university level. When they’re not working with Tribe Friday, Noah enjoys cooking, board games and lengthy conversation.

 

PAUL ADAMS (NEW COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT, MANAGER)

Paul Adams is a NYC based manager focused on developing songwriters, producers and artists.

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CATERINA NASR (300 ELEKTRA ENTERTAINMENT, A&R)

Caterina Nasr is an A&R Senior Manager at 300 Elektra Entertainment (Elektra Records, Fueled By Ramen, 300) based in New York. Originally from Houston, TX, she works on a variety of exciting artists with a roster including acts like PinkPantheress, ThxSoMch, Chloe Moriondo, Thomas Headon, Jake Scott,  A R I Z O N A, JORDY, Brynn Cartelli, New Rules and more. In her first year at Elektra, she also helped ink alt pop band The Band CAMINO. With a passion for building fandom and a true calling for artist development, Caterina’s goal is to discover artists and make records that are incredibly formative and special to people across the globe.

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NATALIE SCHAFFER (BIG PICTURE MEDIA, DIRECTOR OF PR)

Southern California native, Natalie Schaffer, got her start working for Hopeless Records right out of college where she focused on marketing, social media and in house PR for the label. Now at almost a decade with Big Picture Media, she continues to work with Hopeless Records daily, as well as working with labels such as Pure Noise Records, Rude Records, SharpTone, SideOneDummy Records, Wax Bodega, Equal Vision Records, Tooth & Nail Records, and much more. She was the publicist behind The Mars Volta's return and new album and is currently working with Moby for his directorial debut documentary 'Punk Rock Vegan Movie', and spearheads all press for Kings Theatre - a 3,000 cap venue in Brooklyn. She's found a new passion in helping international bands find a presence in America and was announced this year as a US delegate for Ireland Music Week in October. Aside from music, she's successfully spearheaded press campaigns for the San Francisco Coffee Festival, the re-release of John Carpenter's Halloween and Wayne's World into theaters to celebrate milestone anniversaries, the hilarious, satire site The Hard Times and so much more. She's gotten to work with her absolute favorite bands and for that she is incredibly thankful. 

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AFA is a NYC based full service talent management, label, special projects and events agency run BY artists FOR artists.