Belmont recently hosted a convocation event, “Doing It On Your Own: The Indie Route” in the Johnson Center Theater featuring panelists Gino Genero from Thirty Tigers, Jim Legrando from Kickstarter and Garrison Snell of Gyrosity Projects. The panelists shared their insights on the evolution of the music industry and what an artist can do without signing a deal.
Genero emphasized the importance of team chemistry in the indie route. Legrando followed by advising students to find one person that actually cares about what you are doing, a person that Genero suggested be empowering and motivating.
Legrando shared that when getting your foot in the door, you have to be able to show what you’re bringing to the table–a manager can help. Snell then advised aspiring artists to find a manager with a digital marketing background when productizing your brand.
Moving forward, Genero said students should be realistic with their money when creating goals. For Snell, this means finding something within your brand early on that will sell. In this Indie world, affordable access is his live-by-philosophy.
The panel went on to recommend that students never stop learning and take gigs so their connections grow. Snell shared that when he was choosing the indie route he thought it was about financial independence, bu it’s actually about having the ability to stay engaged and create his own culture.
Legrando concluded by sharing that everyone starts out as an independent artist because labels don’t come on day 1. He shared that if you can build your business, it’s going to give you leverage in the future to do what you want. This event was moderated by Caroline Melby, Career Development Specialist of Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
