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Meet the industry’s brightest new talents… Bre McDermott-King
International marketing assistant, Sony Music UK
@breantonia (Instagram)
Where did you get your start in the industry? “I’ve been jumping around the music industry ever since I finished my two years at The BRIT School back in 2013. I studied music there as a vocalist and keys player, and although I loved contributing creatively, I was just as intrigued by the business side. So I did internship upon internship, work experience upon work experience in absolutely everything: live, production, video, performance, digital marketing, music technology, radio, PR… You name it. I studied music industry management at the University Of Hertfordshire to put some credibility behind my experiences and then landed an internship at Sony Music UK. And, well, I’ve never looked back since.”
What’s been the biggest lesson so far? “Although the industry obviously focuses on music, its other priority is people. It’s a relationship game. From the relationships you have with your team, to those you have with other industry execs, to the ones you have with consumers. Genuine rapport is such an asset. So I’ve learned to be a good, hard-working and present person and to be intentional about building solid relationships. The quality of work is second to none if you get that right.”
Tell us your best music business story... “That would have to be curating the first ever Black History Month celebration for Sony Music UK back in
2018. Being able to bring my identity and culture into my workplace and then to combine it with music was so powerful. I spent so long looking through Sony’s rich history with black music legends. Being able to commemorate them while also celebrating the new wave of black talent was life-changing. During our closing event, a guest told me that we actually made history during Black History Month. How awesome is that?”
Name the most exciting part of your job... “The boundlessness of it all. Who knows where music is going next? And, specifically, with music creation, to think you have these 12 notes and a couple of octaves, and millions of ideas have come from that, and there’s still probably a billion more out there. I often think about the kids of the next century, studying trap, drill or Afrobeats and writing essays on it like I had to about Romanticism (which is my favourite movement!).”
How do you want to impact the industry? “My priority is making the next generation of black girls and boys know that we belong in front and behind the camera, on and off stage, in the office building as both executives and presidents, but as clients and artists too. We don’t have to just be the consumer, or the worker. We can be the owner, the leader and the chair(wo)man as well. I’d like to think that when I eventually throw in the towel, my career path would serve as an inspiration and testimony to black British excellence within the music industry.”
BRE’S RECOMMENDED TRACK: Wizkid – Essence (feat. Tems)
ARE YOU A RISING STAR? Under 30? Making a name for yourself? Email Ben Homewood at
ben.homewood@futurenet.com to appear here...
Bre McDermott-King: “My priority is the next generation”
THIS MONTH: How can touring acts survive Brexit?
Paul Pacifico, CEO, AIM: “As individuals, and as an industry, we urgently need to leave behind ‘remain vs leave’ as the lens through which we view everything Brexit-related. We must accept where we are, and dispassionately analyse the deal. “We need artists and their touring teams to be
added to the list of workers who are exempt from short-stay work permit requirements. “We were assured by successive ministers that we would not be left where we are, and we need their help in going back to the negotiating table for what should be a relatively easy fix, given the political will we are assured exists for this on both sides.
musicweek.com
“This is about getting back to work efficiently and supporting a vibrant cultural future – not freedom of movement by the back door. We also need to enable touring teams to take their equipment with them and reinstate the cultural exemption to the rules on road haulage, which had been in place since 1996. “Finally, VAT and other tax issues remain key pain
points. These issues hit smaller businesses hardest and any hesitation in political willingness to resolve them demonstrates, at best, a serious insensitivity to the needs of our innovators and entrepreneurs, and to the high-growth, diverse and culturally pluralistic future we are working towards.”
Independent thought: Paul Pacifico Music Week | 15
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