Dear Alma,

I have been managed by the same company for the past 10 years. Mainly happily. Recently, one of the agents quietly told me that he was planning on splitting off, creating his own management company, and is bringing a select handful of artists with him. The problem – my manager is reputable, with a long history, and has done a good job with my career. The split off person is a young go-getter with a spark and vision but no name. My old manager plays by the old rules and doesn’t have forward-thinking ideas. My gut says move, but my brain (and my friends) say stay.

Make a Break for It?

Dear Make a Break for It?,

That’s a tough one. I’d like to say it’s a 6 of one, half a dozen situation on reading your query, but I am leaning “stay”. The thing that will tip the scale is research.

This break-off person probably has “secretly” asked many people to join him, and may not yet have a solid roster. Your career depends not only on his ability to book, but also the roster he can recruit and company he is able to create. The last thing you need is a manager who operates solo out of his kitchen with a random bunch of steel pan virtuosos and electric bagpipers joining you on his self-made website. Not a good look. Your old manager has not done anything wrong, but you see the possibility of a different future. The old manager deserves a second chance. I would pursue both paths.

Questions to ask.

New manager:

Who has signed on for certain, and can you speak with them?

What contacts does he have, can he keep your old concert schedule or does he need to start fresh, does he have new contacts in addition to the old manager’s?

Who is his new team (does he have a full palate – publicist, web designer, other booking agents) and where will they be located?

What is his plan, vision for the company, projected agent fee and concert schedule, and timeline for takeoff?

Will the bookings be seamless with your current schedule or will there be a gap?

And

Contact some trusted presenters and confidentially ask what their experience is with this person? Does he have a good reputation or is he too pushy or avant-guard? Also ask about your current manager.

Your old manager:

Ask for a meeting to check up and talk about a 5 and 10 year plan. Bring up any concerns, ideas that excite you, and any wishes. Review carefully your contract and look for anything that would limit your move such as conflict of interest.

When I first started out, I worked very hard (as we all do) to climb the ladder of managers. My first was a well-known company that specialized in young competition winners and guaranteed a certain number of bookings as well as helped to take the next step, understanding that I would have 2-3 years before they expected me to move on. After 2 years, and a lot of searching, I picked a new management like you are mentioning – a recent break-off from an old, reputable company that had experience and energy as well, who set up in a cool part of town in an old warehouse, with an eclectic roster. It was exciting and they did a good job, for a 2-man crew, but when the partner left, the whole thing fell apart in an instant and I was left stranded mid-season. It was tough and I lost 18 months of bookings looking for a new person – settling (luckily) on a very old, curmudgeonly agency that just buckled down and booked traditional venues. In the end, it was the crusty old crank who did the best job for me, although I did miss the zest and spontaneity of the break-off. I guess, looking back on it, both experiences lead to a rich and interesting career. But, if I did it all over again, I would have dug in and done my research instead of trusting my excited gut.

Make a Break for It?, life is short and careers in classical music are fragile and fickle. Take your time, don’t be sucked in by the excitement or feelings of pressure. You can make a move any time you want – maybe ask the new agent if you can circle around this idea in 12 months, after you see what he can do. It’s a good time to re-evaluate and explore even more than just these two options. And, congratulations on achieving all you have thus far – it speaks volumes for not only your artistry, but your work ethic and smarts as well.

Questions for Alma? Please put them in the comments section or send to DearAlmaQuery@gmail.com