Over the course of a nearly forty-year career in the music industry, Gary Gersh has built a reputation as a tough and artist-friendly executive. He has worked as an A&R executive (having signed Nirvana and Sonic Youth to Geffen Records), as president of Capitol Records (where he worked with artists like Everclear and The Beastie Boys), and as an artist manager working with artists such as Matisyahu. He recently came out of record-business retirement to accept an A&R executive post with Columbia Records.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, moderator Don van Cleave introduces the other two panelists: artist manager Gary Gersh and A&R rep Steve Rabolvsky.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, panelists Don van Cleave, Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky assess whether downloading and social media hold the keys for the future success of the music industry, and discuss the real motives behind Apple’s espousal of iTunes. They also speak honestly about the music industry’s current state of mind, and what the industry might be able to do to salvage the goodwill of their customers. Gersh also shares his experiences trying to break Radiohead while at Capitol, and the challenges he faced trying to persuade radio, retail and even his own label that the band was worth investing in.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, panelists Don van Cleave, Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky assess whether independent journalist such as bloggers are susceptible to the allures of for-pay reviews, and what might happen to online news outlets who appear to have conflicts of interest between the reviews and news they publish and their sources of revenue.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, panelists Don van Cleave, Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky discuss the influence that various parts of the music- buying market have on the record business (e.g. tweens, college students, middle-aged parents), and whether at the end of the day, quality music transcends age, culture, and regional preferences.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, panelists Gary Gersh, Don van Cleave and Steve Rabolvsky share their opinions on the current situation of the music industry, and offer predictions on what will happen next. They also share advice with the audience on how not to think about the music business, and how to build a career in the music business of tomorrow.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, panelists Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky discuss their first forays into the music business - manning the boards at tiny radio stations, working at record stores, and eventually road-managing major bands and working in key roles at major labels.
In this panel discussion on artist management and the future of the record industry presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, retailer and music-industry advocate Don van Cleave, artist manager (and former label head) Gary Gersh and A&R rep Steve Rabolvsky share their thoughts and advice on artist management, how independent bands can break through to success, and what the music industry of tomorrow will look like. The panelists draw on their experiences working at labels like ATO (with David Gray), Def Jam (with the Beastie Boys), and Geffen (with Nirvana) to explore the artist-manager-label relationship and draw conclusions about what artists of today need to know and to in order to survive.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, artist manager and former A&R rep Gary Gersh discusses how he signed the most influential band of the 1990s to Geffen Records, and how he worked with them to make Nevermind.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veteran Steve Rabolvsky discusses his career at Def Jam during that label’s 1980s heyday, and his experiences putting together the groundbreaking Def Jam/Columbia deal which led to national success for, among others, the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veteran Steve Rabolvsky discusses what they have found to be winning strategies for getting an album or band to its audience, and creating a lasting career for that artist.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veteran Gary Gersh discusses his decision to re-enter the major label universe and become an A&R executive for Columbia records.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veteran Gary Gersh shares his thoughts on building the best team for any given project, and on keeping yourself from falling behind current industry trends.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veterans Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky assess the current fashion for so-called “360 deals” from the label’s perspective, whether such deals make business sense for labels, and whether they are fair to the artist.
In this segment of a panel discussion on artist management presented at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, music industry veterans Gary Gersh and Steve Rabolvsky take audience questions about finding projects to manage or sign, and about the future of the music industry
