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A Los Angeles native and UCLA alumni, Michele Harrison commenced her career as a legal assistant at the Law Offices of Fischbach, Perlstein and Lieberman. Following gigs at Virgin Records and Hollywood Records, she spent 15 years at Ian Montone’s Monotone, Inc., working with the likes of Broken Bells, The Shins, Vampire Weekend, and Academy® Award winner Jamie Foxx. In 2018, she became Co-Head of Management at Friends At Work, managing Alanis Morissette and Raphael Saadiq. 2021 saw her join Range Music as a Partner, overseeing the careers of Healy, KaiGoinKrazy, Tkay Maidza, Justin Tranter, and UMI. With MPH Collective, she has now built a haven for artists, visionaries, and storytellers to shine without compromise.
In this interview, Ari and Michele discuss the role of autonomy and control in management, the impact of TikTok on artists’ careers, and the changing landscape of record deals. She shares insights into the profitability of different venue sizes and the revenue streams from touring, including VIP experiences and merchandise sales. Michele also discusses the role of producers and the process of creating beat packs to pitch to artists and songwriters. She highlights the importance of getting in the room with other producers and songwriters to create music.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background of MPH Collective
03:06 The Impact of TikTok and Challenges in the Music Industry
06:53 The Shifting Landscape of Record Deals
11:52 The Importance of Authenticity in Social Media
30:26 Building a Collaborative Team
35:15 The Importance of Booking Agents and Touring
41:09 Profitability and Revenue Streams
46:09 The Role of Producers
57:01 The Goal in the New Music Business
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids-Ergas
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
