Huge thanks to Heather Adamson for the article in the March issue of Beatroute BC!
VANCOUVER – With multiple barriers facing musicians trying to make it and find their way in an ever-increasingly complex industry, having experienced, passionate people to help you navigate the waters can make all the difference.
Enter Vancouver’s Savannah Wellman and Meagan Davidson, who recently launched Tiny Kingdom Music, an artist management and administration company focusing on diversifying the status-quo management structure to provide artists with choices and levels of support in order to maximize the number of musicians they can support in the areas they need it the most. Both Wellman and Davidson left their long-time positions at Music BC to branch out on their own, taking all they had learned and the connections they made in order to move from handing bands a suggested roadmap to jumping in the passenger seat for the ride. “It was amazing at Music BC to provide artists with the information they needed to further their careers, but then our involvement would end,” explained Wellman. “After doing that for a very long time we felt the desire to roll up our sleeves and become more hands-on.”
Walking through the steps herself as a professional songwriter, musician and performer, Wellman understands firsthand what roadblocks are in the way of artists making their music a sustainable career path and is passionate about helping them find their own way. “Traditional revenue sources are not there anymore so it is about learning how to figure out other ways to financially survive in the music industry,” says Wellman. “In Canada and BC, there are funding sources available but it can be difficult figuring out how to access them. We want to help the musicians we believe in be seen as professionals instead of hobbyists and be taken seriously by the industry while communicating effectively with an audience. It’s about developing the whole package.”
As women in the industry, the immediate response from female musicians was somewhat of a shock, yet not completely surprising to Wellman. “A lot of women musician friends called us immediately to express how relieved they were to finally be able to have other women to turn to in this capacity. I was torn between being happy to be able to provide needed help and sad that so many had been feeling this way for a long time, that they would need a female rep to be taken seriously and have respect. It is one more barrier to overcome and we are here to provide whatever support we can.”
As the two long-time friends and colleagues begin this new career path together, they are solid in their vision and commitment to the music they believe in. “The idea of being a part of the career of any one of the artists we love is what excites us the most.”