Entertainment Business Management Students
Visit Warner and Last Gang
By Matt Macdonnell (EBM Student)

I think Alan Cross described it best: when you’re an artist in the music industry, you have two options. Option one: you can do everything yourself. Write the songs, book the studio time, produce the music, contract out the manufacturing of the CD, deliver those CDs to record stores, track sales, book your own tours, print up your own t-shirts, design and maintain your official website, take care of publicity, finance a video - in short, be responsible for a million things. But where does that leave the artist: with no time to actually concentrate on the music, or, on their art; which leads to option 2: the record label!

On July 17th the second semester Entertainment Business Management students were given the chance to venture outside the class room and walk through two record labels with the hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of the way in which these companies function.

Our class first attended Warner Music Canada. We were given a tour of the facilities and an in-depth explanation of the goings-on, as well as insights into how each of the individual departments come together to function as a collective unit. We were all very happy to have had the opportunity to sit down with several representatives of the company, including Dale Kotyk (V.P., Marketing) and Steve Blair (V.P., A&R). We heard for ourselves an explanation of where the company is looking to go, how they plan to adapt to a changing world, and how they want to grow with the music. We were also given a special sneak preview of the new Billy Talent track.

After leaving Warner, we visited General Manager Claire Rosenbaum and her team at Last Gang Records. It was very positive to see a new and exciting endeavor in the world of music. With artists such as Death From Above 1979, Metric, and The New Pornographers, there is no doubt that the independent model can be just as efficient and effective as their big brother counterpart.

It was exciting to see first-hand how majors such as Warner (or as they describe themselves the worlds largest indie) are adapting to an ever changing atmosphere throughout the industry. It was also refreshing to see how the entrepreneurial spirit thrives throughout the independent scene, as they take a chance on something they believe in and provide artists with the means to bring their art to the masses.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank both Warner and Last Gang for their hospitality. Everyone we met was willing to entertain any questions we had, and offer us the knowledge they have acquired throughout their experiences in the industry. It is so very encouraging to see the Canadian music scene really is a community and not just an industry.