THE MUSIC BUSINESS — FROM THE TRENCHES

By Chris Rinken, (Cardozo, Class 2012)

On April 22, SELSA and NARIP, the National Assn. of Record Industry Professionals, presented “Art of the Music Deal – The Management Deal” at the Law School. The panel included Tess Taylor, the president of NARIP, as mediator; Joe Hegleman from Ron Shapiro Management, representing the personal manager in the deal; and Alisa S. deRosa, Esq. from Grubman Indursky & Shire, P.C. as the artist’s lawyer. The event began with a brief walk through of legal concepts, issues and trends facing the recording industry. Most of the evening was devoted to an engaging mock management contract negotiation.

The near four hour event was filled with great point-counterpoint explanations of each piece of the contract and of the negotiation, which framed the process in honest and confrontational perspectives. Materials distributed beforehand contained tips for managers and a sample management contract that made the amount of information presented easy to follow and process. The event brought a good crowd of industry professionals who participated openly in the discussion. It was an excellent opportunity to learn straight from the people on the scene.

NARIP puts on educational events, brunches and mixers for industry professionals in locations around the country. They also offer resources geared towards advancing careers in the recording industry. For more information about NARIP, visit http://www.narip.com