ASSIGNMENT: A&R Record Label Pitch: Artist Presentation

LESSON GOALS: Exploring the extent and range of your new musical and cultural knowledge in American popular music.

A&R Presentation: You work in the A&R department at a record label (of your choosing — real or made-up). Create a solid “one-sheet” style presentation (like a 3-4 page bio/resume), and demonstrate why the A&R executive should pursue a contract with this new artist (of your choosing — real or made-up), that you recently recruited. Draw on information about the musician’s life experiences and style, audience and critical reception, and ticket and record sales to support your prediction about the potential popularity of this client as well as appropriate fit with other artists signed to your particular branch of the label you work for. Include a portfolio of the musician’s repertoire by using examples of your own music description and analysis, artwork styles and looks, branding and marketing ideas, among any other creative things you can think of, to present the information to the record label in a structured and persuasive format. 

Remember, as in all of our course work and thinking this summer: A component of your job is to be aware of the cultural context of the creation and consumption of your artist’s particular style, so be sure to include a survey of this in your artist presentation outline. This should also include your speculation on musical styles, traditions, and/or performers that you think may have influenced the artist, why you were drawn to this conclusion, and how these influences are manifested in the artists music and performance.

Your Artist Profile should include the following information:

• To: [Name of A&R Executive] 
  From: [Your Name] 
  Date: [Date] 

Subject: Recommendation for Contract with New Artist 

I am writing to present a compelling case for pursuing a contract with the incredibly talented musician, [Artist’s Name], whom I recently recruited. Based on the artist’s unique life experiences, musical style, audience and critical reception, as well as ticket and record sales, I strongly believe that [Artist’s Name] has the potential to achieve great popularity and be an excellent fit within our label’s roster of artists. 

[Artist’s Name]’s Life Experiences and Style: [Provide a detailed description of the artist’s background, musical style, and influences. Highlight any extraordinary life experiences or events that have shaped the artist’s unique perspective and approach to music.] 

Audience and Critical Reception: [Discuss the demographics of the artist’s fan base, the response from music critics, and any notable achievements or awards that the artist has garnered.] 

Online Presence & Social Media: [Discuss the artist’s online presence and appearance on social media platforms.]
Ticket and Record Sales: [Present an overview of the artist’s concert ticket sales and record sales, highlighting any impressive milestones or achievements.] 

Fit within Our Label: [Explain how the artist’s style and image align with the overall brand and ethos of our label. Provide examples of other artists on our roster whom [Artist’s Name] would complement or collaborate effectively with.] 

Portfolio of the Musician’s Repertoire: [Include a portfolio of the artist’s music, including descriptions and analyses of key tracks. Highlight any unique or innovative aspects of the artist’s sound and songwriting.] 

Artwork Styles and Looks: [Share concepts for album artwork, promotional photos, and overall visual branding ideas for the artist.] 

Branding and Marketing Ideas: [Propose creative marketing strategies and branding initiatives that would effectively promote the artist and connect with their target audience.] 

In summary…

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Your 3-4 page Artist presentation should be typed using proper English grammar, syntax, correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization! Remember, you are formally presenting this to the record label. Your paper must be double-spaced, have one-inch margins, and use 12-point font. Put your name and Band/Artist’s name in the upper left corner of the first page. Although you do not need to use outside sources, be sure to credit any sources within the text of your paper as well as include an additional page listing all works cited using MLA style. The Works Cited page is in addition to the 3-4 page artist profile presentation