From the day I took my first music business course at Belmont to the day I graduated, I heard over and over "the key to success in the music industry is networking." Networking. Networking. Networking. The word became so overused at panels and speaker events I learned to tune it out - instead focusing on any other advice people had to give. I tried to meet some people and "network" in college, but never really got the hang of it. I always thought "there must be some other way to success. There HAS to be!" Fortunately, when I heard Bill Werde speak at the Best Job Ever conference last year, he had some similar thoughts - saying in an interview afterwards:
“I wonder about all these people who give that advice [to just network] because I certainly didn’t get anywhere in my career from networking. I had a couple of good friends, and they helped create an opportunity here or there, but they were just good friends and then they moved up some place and were happy to bring me along because they knew what I could do. That said, at this early stage in your career it’s good to have relationships, it’s good to have people that know you and have an inkling about your work. So that is important, I guess, but I think people put way too much focus on it. At the end of the day you can bullshit your way into a lot of things, but people find out pretty quickly whether you have what it takes to do that work or do that job. I think generally from my experience - generally, not always - let me be crystal clear - the people that wind up succeeding wind up succeeding because they’re the smartest, they’re the best at what they do. It’s a cream rises kind of theory. But it can just look a lot of different ways.”
When I think of networking, I think of going to a mixer or event and meeting everyone in the room - in an effort to expand your network and know as many people in the industry as possible. While I know that works for some people, that just doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a conversation with a couple of people and really get to know them. You could say that's because I'm introverted or because I've learned to cringe at the word "networking," but either way I've found just getting to know a small number of people has been the most effective. Another quote from Bill Werde in our latest issue was:
“Networking is really not the answer. Learning is the answer. Being able to bring value to an organization is the answer. If you can create value for a company then they’re always going to want to hire you. Otherwise there’s a long line of people at the door that know somebody who knows somebody that got their resume onto the desk of somebody. I just don’t see that as a pretty smart competitive advantage. Sure you should network a little bit, but to me networking, especially when you’re young, is really a function of ‘who can I meet that can teach me things?’ and not a function of like ‘whose name can I drop?’
When I was young I hated networking, and I would go out to events or whatever not to network but just because it was this club show that I was going to or this DJ or whatever it was I’d see these five or six people in the back of the room that I knew could make or break my career, or I thought could at that point in time. Whenever I go into a room with a bunch of people, my goal wasn’t to meet as many people as possible. My goal was to find one person that I could go deep with. I still basically do the same exact thing. I was out at Grammy week this year, and every room I go into I’m always looking for one kind of meaningful, like ‘what’s the most meaningful relationship that I could form in this space?’”
So all of my complaints aside - I think you can connect with people in your own way. You might like to meet everyone in the room, but you also might like to just get to know a few people and have coffee with them. Since being in New York, I have found that to be the most effective (and most enjoyable) way to "network."
Though a lot of networking is done in person at events, here are some recommendations for networking organizations that I've found to be good resources online.
- WIM: Women In Music - an NYC based organization that holds monthly events ranging from mixers to pro-bono legal clinics to their well known holiday party. They bring together women that are artists, songwriters, industry professionals, and even people who just have a love for music. Men are welcome to be a part of the meetings as well! The $50 membership fee is well worth it, as some monthly events are member exclusive. Members also get access to a WIM Google group, where you can send out emails to all members. One of my favorite aspects of WIM is their commitment to help women learn about leadership and what it means to work in higher positions in the industry - something that is definitely needed!
- YEP: Young Entertainment Professionals - a Nashville based group for people working in the industry. Their Facebook group is a great resource and a way to reach a lot of people with similar interests. You'll find job and internship postings, as well as information about YEP hosted mixers and showcases - popular events in the city. The group has also started a mentorship program called Springboard that pairs an industry professional from the YEP board with a college student to give them one on one advice and mentoring sessions.
- MICN: Music Industry Career Networking Facebook group - this group is for professionals in the industry from anywhere. Though it can often get bogged down by intern requests or people asking for contact info, there can be interesting discussions sometimes and it's a good resource. You have to request to gain access, but anyone can ask to join.