Written by Tab Nkhereanye
We’ve all had that feeling that we’re on the wrong path to achieve our professional dreams. You’re not alone. Here is what I did in my journey from hit songwriter to music industry executive.
It’s hard enough to get a foot in the door in your desired industry in general, let alone parlay that into your next chapter and arena as a professional. This was something I learned firsthand. Growing up, music was everything to me and something I wanted to get involved with intimately, so I started networking, sharing my music, and collaborating; one thing led to another, and a decade passed, and I had co-written a handful of No. 1 songs for artists like Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Madonna, and Brittney Spears. However, I really wanted to explore the DNA of hitmaking from the music business perspective. This was something not many if any, writers had done, so I had to roll up my sleeves and figure out a
path to that journey. Along that way, there were a lot of setbacks and wins, No. 1 records and flops, job changes, and energy being put into my new role. Today, I am currently SVP of Artists and Repertoire at BMG, where I firmly stand on the other side of the world of hitmaking. Here are the ways I got to where I was.Decide Where You Want To Go
Having a north star when approaching a career change is the first priority of accomplishing the mission. Explore job descriptions that connect with your professional desires and goals and land on a role or career that is most aligned with your goals.
Identify Skills and Make A Networking Plan
Many people, even yourself, will put your past experiences and jobs into a box. To start this journey, you will need to look at where you have been and identify what skills can translate and have you excel in your new career path. These skills are what
will make you marketable. Take those skills and make a plan for how you will get to the decision-makers and experts in this new field. Who will you need to meet? Who are your champions? Who can be a new champion of your work and skills? Where will you find these champions?Create Messaging Points + Start Networking
Rightfully or wrongfully, everyone you know has you associated with where you are and where you have been — it takes signaling with language and direct messaging to help guide your new and old champions to where they can best put you to implement your plan.
Lay out where you have been and how your skills make you right for your new path. Have these points in your mind when conversing with people to build a narrative for your champions. Don’t beat around the bush; lay out why you want to make this step, why it will be great, and most importantly, how people in your network can potentially help.
People are good and want to help each other. Help make it easy for them to showcase you with others in their network.
Be Your Own Engine
During my career transition from songwriter to executive, I found that many decision-makers were risk averse. That is why I forged my own path as I continued networking and conversations—hitting the pavement, meeting new artists, exploring opportunities that I could bring to life, and using these projects to essentially build my portfolio. What can you do to not only signal your work but also show potential naysayers that you are actually doing the work already?
Mentality
This journey is not for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of rejection, comes with roadblocks and difficulties, and the wrong mental approach can get in the way or completely derail your journey. Have patience with yourself, have patience with others, and be kind to yourself. Keep doing the next right thing and working hard on these aforementioned steps, and you will get to where you want to go.
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Over the last 20 years, Tab Nkhereanye, SVP of A&R (Artists & Repertoire) at BMG, has been one of the driving forces behind hitmakers and top charting songs alike. Nkheranye’s success in the music industry is unlike many, providing him with one of the most unique perspectives in the field and a resume that is hard to top. His path to BMG was not a traditional one at all; as a songwriter in the first decade of his career, he was responsible for multiple No. 1 hits, writing with Justin Bieber, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, and Brittany Spears.