Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Jackson.
Hi Madeline, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My whole life, I knew I wanted to do something in the Entertainment Industry. When I graduated high school, I met these guys named BYV who were artists. I started managing them and we started throwing parties together. That’s when I decided to make my focus, the Music Business. I started going to Kennesaw State University and enrolled in the Joel A Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program. I really owe so much to Keith Perissi and Danny Howes who run this program. I learned so much about the music business and it got me very excited to be a part of it. While I was in this program, I had four awesome internships at The GRAMMY’s, PlayPro Media, SESAC and Live Nation Entertainment. Three days after graduating I had my first job in the music industry at SESAC. I ended up working at Live Nation, who I also interned for later down the line. The majority of my career I have been in PRO’s SESAC & BMI or Live Entertainment with Live Nation Entertainment & Rival Entertainment. I could not ask for a better job that fits my skill set so perfectly as Rival Entertainments. The live entertainment space really has my heart, there is nothing like the energy from a live show. So I think it’s safe to say the Joel A Katz Music & Entertainment Business program put me on the right track.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been some struggles. I went to three different Colleges before ending up at Kennesaw State University. I had a lot of hard and very low-paying jobs in the industry. I always knew I wanted to be on the Music Business side but there is so much that is included in the music business. I had to try out many different things till I found my niche. When they say you have to pay your dues they aren’t kidding but if you don’t give up… wow it’s definitely worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Rental Manager at Rival Entertainment for the venues Center Stage, The Loft and Vinyl. I handle all third-party programming and private events. Essentially I am a booker but it’s based on venue rates and not guarantees based on ticket sales. This job is definitely sales focused which I love and I am probably most well known for. But It is also about knowing what shows are popular; who is going to sell well, put on a cool show and be worth our time. We are very high-volume venues, so we can’t accept everyone unfortunately. A lot of my day-to-day is research on artists, what markets are they doing well, are people coming out to the shows? These days you can have a million followers and not even get 100 people to come to your show and on the other hand, you can have 5,000 followers and easily get 300 people to come to your show. Takes a bit of work to figure out who is going to sell tickets.
I also have people that come along that may not sell a bunch of tickets but make incredible music and you know someday they will be selling out arenas. People like this make you want to take a chance on them just to say you were one of the first to book them. Those are some of the most special moments seeing someone like that in a room with 100 people. That is probably what I am most proud of, creating experiences like that. I hope I am most known for creating memorable once in a lifetime performance opportunities. Whether it be booking someone super dope like a Lotus Rosery show with Anwar who one day you will all know his name in the music industry or booking a super cool underplay with Earthgang in a small room like Vinyl with 300 people when they can sell out venues 4 times that size. Or booking JID with MTV Unplugged and Paramount concerts in The Loft. Creating once in a lifetime memorable experiences that bring people together is what this job is all about.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love to stay up to date on current artists so I use social media quite a bit to find and discover new artists. I also like to stay connected to local people who tap into the underground market such as Lotus Rosery and Volumes HipHop. I like to read all typical music magazines such as Billboard, Fact Magazine and Rolling Stone. I like to look to local publications like Creative Loafing, VoyageATL, Canvas Rebel and FlagPole. However some of my biggest resources are people, my mom, my boss and my mentors. My mom, Laura McKinley has been a boss all my life and she is someone who I constantly look to for advice. She carries herself with confidence in her craft and drives to always be better and do better. My Boss, Josh Antenucci, is someone I admire and has taught me so much since I started working for him. He is so smart and always knows how to handle every situation. My two mentors would be Erin Baxter, my very first internship Boss, and Greg Smith, my first boss in the music industry. They have given me great advice throughout the years and helped me get my start in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.centerstage-atlanta.com/venue-rental/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_madelinefaye/?hl=en
