That Certain Something

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Camille Barbone, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

“That’s it! That’s the one!” The sounds of Janis Joplin’s Pearl album move timelessly throughout the studio walls. It’s late, and at hours when most people are dreaming, the music executives are full of life and busy at work, selecting the next big hit! Deep soul and feelings move through the production managers ears as recordings of young Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and Blood Sweat and Tears enter the forever air of music.
A new technology has just developed that presents audio sound through 4 Channels and 4 speakers. It’s the early 70’s and we are now inside one of the first studios in the world, Columbia Records.
Who oversees which songs will hit the market? The production process for all releases through the record company are the responsibility of the Music Production Manager/Director. This also entails working on artist development, delivering advance releases to media outlets and creating promotional exposure for new and recurring artists by events organized through the label.

There inside Columbia Records, along side record exec’s like Clive Davis, a young woman who always had a love for music and a strong interest for what makes it happen behind-the-scenes was the one making those decisions. This incredible woman would later go on to discover and develop one of the world’s leading musical icons…Madonna.

Forever creating, evolving and always having an eye for ‘that certain something’, we are now joined by the legendary Camille Barbone as she shares her life in music and her latest and maybe ‘greatest’ industry project.

DM: Camille, with more than 35 years of success and achievement in the Entertainment Industry, you have been able to experience first-hand, so many of the amazing changes that have evolved throughout the decades. What initially lead you to want to pursue a career in Entertainment?
CB: I first experienced the entertainment business as a consumer, a young teenager that always had a radio on and was in love with all the music and entertainment shows that were on TV. I experienced, first-hand, the British Band invasion led by the Beatles and was unusually interested in album “credits,” taking note of the managers, producers, and all the people behind the scenes. While all my friends were talking about who they would love to date (John, Paul, George or Ringo), I was wondering what it would be like to work with Brian Epstein, the Beatle’s manager or to be George Martin who produced all their early hits. I never aspired to be on stage but always wanted to work and help those who did. In school, I worked to “produce” the talent shows and pick the people who would perform. But the real decision making experience came when I had the chance to spend some time in Los Angeles with cousins of mine who were engineers for major record labels. They didn’t have nine to five jobs. They went to work when it got dark, wore jeans and loved what they did. They dealt with the creative process and people who made music. I attended recording sessions and watched the studio process and the way the artist and his or her team “made the music business work.” On a soft leather coach, in the dark, cool control room of Columbia Recording Studio, I decided that this was what I wanted to do with my life. The artist being recorded was Santana and I fell in love with the entire scene and pursued an entry-level job at Columbia Records the minute I got back to NYC. I got the job and my career began.
DM: Having discovered and developed one of my childhood inspirations, Madonna, where did you first discover her and what was it about her that initially sparked your interest to want to represent her?
CB: I believe I have a gift, an eye for high caliber talent for the super-star gene as it were. I can recognize a very special type of persona that is rare and exists in only a few. I know it when I see it. I can pick out a face or an attitude; a person capable of commanding attention as he or she walks in a room, someone who is capable of sucking all the oxygen out of it just by his or her very presence. The first time I saw Madonna I knew she had that and more. The Industry wasn’t so sure and it took a hell of a lot of convincing for them to agree. I have numerous “pass letters” to prove it.

It was on the elevator in the Music Building in NYC where I owned a studio. She knew Gotham Sound, knew that major labels used it and that I was its owner. I knew nothing about her except that whenever I saw her, she was bold and brassy, laughed loud and talked non-stop to everyone she met. Each time we ran into each other she would try to engage me in dialogue. Eventually, and through a series of coincidences I got to hear her tape, see her live and I signed her on the spot. She walked out on the stage and I knew she had the ability to become a huge star. I didn’t realize until later that she also possessed what I came to realize is the other key component to success and that is drive. Drive to a large degree transcends talent. You can’t make it without it. Madonna has that drive and passion that is essential to fame, on a high level. Personally, I attribute my own success to the amount of drive I command and am blessed with. Drive allows you to compete tirelessly and to remain focused on your objectives or goals.
DM: What did you first envision for Madonna’s future in the Music Business?
CB: I knew Madonna was going to be known as one of the greatest stage performers in the history of the Music business. She was magic on stage. She understands how she looks (a sort of mind/body coordination) and knows how to communicate through movement from studying dance.

When I first began managing Madonna, she was writing her own songs and playing guitar in a sort of “rock” vain. We began with that genre of music and contrary to other articles and reports that I have read about our working together; I was not the one to push her in a “Joan Jett” type of musical vein. Rock was what she was doing and so we ran with it. Slowly though dance and other “feels” began to evolve especially when I selected the musicians for her first professional level band. These guys were top players with amazing credits in their own right so music of all kinds became accessible to Madonna and gave her a musical freedom that she had never before enjoyed. Dance started to creep its way into her performances and music. Then and now, I support the natural growth of talent and I let the artist set their own musical agenda. It has to be a part of them. You cannot graft musical aptitude on to someone; the rejection rate is far too great. My job, then and now, is to support, refine and make certain every aspect of a client’s career can compete in the mainstream music business. I suggest, guide and advise accordingly. If the choices are not working, I will intercede but ultimately it is the decision of the artist.
DM: Managing strong personalities can be both challenging and rewarding, what strategies do you find work best when over seeing someone who is, let’s say…very independent?
CB: Let’s see, I would have to say my approach to the “very independent” artist has changed greatly through the years and with my own experience as a manager and coach but my method hinges on the artist’s level of talent and ability to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, their goals and objectives. It’s proportional, independence increases relative to self-knowledge. I guide and suggest but provide reasons to support my opinion if it differs but I constantly educate clients about the up and downside to decisions. To me, it is vital that talent is used to the fullest, so independent or not, if I feel a client is not working to the max, I will intercede and help them to figure out what is going on and then work with them to formulate a plan that takes them where they want to go. You have to be willing to work hard and smart. Independence is healthy. It should be supported and guided but ever so gently.

DM: Directing and Managing new releases at Columbia Records in the 70’s and at the studio you owned, Gotham Sound for such Artists as Gladys Knight, The Bee Gees and Grace Jones, you might agree with me that the mainstream music back then seemed to have more of a “magic” to it. Why do you think that was?

CB: The music business, as an industry, has undergone a great shifts and changes due to the advent of digital and online technology. Now, there is the 24/7 news cycle to contend with so the “magic” is diluted by the sheer volume of information music lovers and buyers receive on a moment-to-moment basis. The 70’s and the 80’s were all glitter and club oriented, appearing bigger than life, magical and almost fantasy in form and message, especially in contrast to the homegrown, grassroots, low-key approach to the music of the 60’s.

I believe that the “magic” of the music business resides and remains in the eyes of the beholders or should I say the eye of the consumer? Today, bands like The Black Keys and Tegan and Sara fit into that grassroots, no frills mode of music ala the 60’s. It’s a counter-culture type of thing that is free of corporate “packaging” and “sizzle” that is so often associated with mainstream music. The young music consumer wants purity in what they listen to and is entertained by. They approach music with a relaxed acceptance preferring their musical heroes to be accessible, counter-establishment, easy to identify with and definitely not part of the corporate machine.

Hip-hop, as a musical genre, has inherited the sizzle and the glamor of the 70’s and 80’s. The videos are outrageous and the artists portrayed as bigger than life. It too has changed from the early days of rap when the message was more of a statement political, socio-economic and sociological too.

The music business was a young industry back in the 60’s. Its economic power was still unknown. It was the “ramp up” time to a wild era of growth, astronomical sales figures and sold out concert seasons. Digital and online technology has changed everything about the music industry. The major labels were late in accepting and acknowledging the power of the Internet. They have surrendered, finally and a new generation of executive will use the Internet to make their own kind of magic. That is why coaching this next generation is so very important. The love of music was at the core of the early music business. Somehow, through the 80’s and even today, the magic has been replaced by the “bottom line.” I knew executives who would stake their careers on their belief in an artist and his or her talent. There was no fear, just passion for the music and I think the quality was as high as the commitment. Music and talent needs to take center stage again and be the motivating factor behind company decisions; signing artists, releasing singles, tours, multi-media promotions involving music, film, TV, the Internet and radio. The opportunities for exposure have multiplied and perhaps that is the good AND the bad news. It is hard to filter out anything. Music, of every level, every genre, low quality, high quality, good, bad and indifferent is easily accessible. It’s easy to get by just being mediocre…
DM: How would you say that the entertainment business has changed you, if at all?
CB: I have lived through a few different iterations of the industry and with each cycle, I have learned a bit more about the business and myself. My ability to be “shocked” by changes, successes and failures is definitely lessening, (lol). I am open to new ideas and ways to do things. I have learned that everything is in a state of change, not necessarily better or worse, just different. I am open to using new tools and technologies as they are developed. I love social media and how it empowers new artists and enables them to reach new fans and build core audiences. No one is dependent on a hand full of radio stations or a cluster of clubs to reach the public. That is truly amazing and makes me so happy because the one thing that has really evolved through the years is the way that I view artists as people and as products. This business is hard and harsh. It is not for the faint of heart, not for the lazy and contrary to what people think not a huge party. It is very competitive business and requires the participants to be “on their game” at all times or you will lose the chance, the slot and the traction needed to flourish. New technologies have leveled the playing field and I am so happy for that. I am so much more hopeful.

DM: What is one of your personal, most favorite memories from the music business?
CB: One of my most favorite memories… hmmm, let’s see. That is a hard one. I have a lot of stories and many moments that I couldn’t quite believe I was experiencing. However, I would have to say that attending the weekly A&R “Singles” Meeting for Columbia/Sony, Epic and all their associated labels is a top three memory. It was not unusual to have one of the artists visit or to meet the artists that were going to be signed such as Billy Joel, The Jackson’s, Edgar Winter and so many more. We reviewed the songs being considered as singles, voted on our favorites and the ones that would go on to make history in the music business; Bridge Over Troubled Waters by Simon & Garfunkel, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan songs, Streisand releases like “Evergreen” or Boston’s “More Than A Feeling.” It was music history in the making and I had a front row seat for it. It was a long meeting, held twice a week and I came away from each one thinking about how lucky I was to be a part of it.

DM: From Warner Chappell NYC to Stadium Entertainment Holdings and C. Barbone and Associates, the path of success you have paved in Entertainment is very inspiring. Your path has now lead you to a brand new venture, which focuses on sharing and teaching valuable information to other entertainment professionals. That company is Creative Career Coach (C3). Can you please tell us more about this?
CB: C3 is a hybrid that blends my extensive experience and knowledge as an executive, entrepreneur and consultant in the entertainment industry with my degree in Psychology and my knowledge of life and career coaching. It offers guidance and structure to members of the creative community and those aspiring to a career on the business side of entertainment. It is goal and progress oriented. It is driven by the client’s agenda and it can be based on short or long-term goals. It helps to move a career along in sync with one’s life and one’s mental state. It provides healthy balance and logic to a very emotional and pressured process. It is not artist management. It is career coaching. The client takes control of his or her life, sets the goals and the pace. It is educational and supportive. It works in real time, with current situations and is based up the laws of “attraction” as opposed to self-promotion. By defining what you want, what you are truly attracted to, you multiple the odds exponentially in favor of success. Through critical question and answer sessions I find out what a client really wants and then I help them create a plan to get it. I am always surprised at the speed of progress once we have the target properly defined. The plan is as successful as the client is honest about the goal. It is extremely rewarding and very empowering for my clients and for me. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do at this point of my career and once I was clear, Creative Career Coach fell right in to place. Clients have as much access to me as they want or need via email or phone. I am there for emergencies but more importantly I give them the tools they need to work through decisions, problems, successes, delays and the times when “life will just not cooperate.” I ask for feedback on my coaching skills regularly as I too want to improve what I am doing and reach the goals I have set for myself.

DM: Many high-powered industry representatives have turned to you for consulting advice on many occasions. Was this what inspired you to branch into your own consulting firm?
CB: I am pretty opinionated about the business. I have seen a lot of successes but more failures; most of them unnecessary I am sad to say. There is a right and a wrong way to do things. There is integrity and there is a disregard for how things should, morally and ethically get done. People in this business are challenged daily to “do the right thing.” I wanted to help guide that process, perhaps suggest ways that are more homogeneous. The business is unique in one way; the product is a person, a living-breathing commodity. You market them, promote them, critique them and very often, people in the business forget that they are dealing with a human being, about the fact that artists and composers are offering up a piece of themselves each time they perform or write a song or ask about how they are being marketed. I want to influence the process. I want the industry to flourish and to succeed. I want the “horror stories” to be the exception and not the rule. Creative Career Coach and my consulting were created for just this very purpose.

DM: C3 to me seems like just the piece of the entertainment puzzle that has always been missing! With Creative Career Coach, (C3), this hopefully will create a brand new era of entertainment. Maybe that magic I spoke of earlier, will soon be taking on a whole new spark. Once clients successfully receive coaching, how are they then partnered into their respective areas of interest? Does C3 help assist in the hiring process of their careers?
CB: There is naturalness to the progression of events once a goal is defined and a plan is put into motion. To have talent and ability in the Arts and Entertainment Industry is a very special gift. The magic happens when that talent is expressed, appreciated AND given value by others. By assisting my clients in their plan they are led into the proper sphere of influence. They are drawn to and attract the right partners (companies, team members, managers, agents, promoters, executive positions, etc.) and they learn how to interact with them, from the first moment, in a way that shows what they want and how they are in command of the process. They operate within a framework that is appropriate and germane to their goals. Their day-to-day activities are focused and concentrated geographically, vocationally, creatively and spiritually. There is balance in their lives and they flourish from within. Energy is a valuable commodity and it is not wasted when you have a program that is structured but fluid enough to adjust as needed. C3 does not help in the hiring process but it does refer its clients to people and companies who can help.

DM: What are some of the other projects you are currently working on?
CB: Launching C3 is a top priority for me. I intend to grow the company to a level where I will coordinate a staff of specialty coaches for very specific careers niches and disciplines within the Entertainment Industry. Since its launch at the beginning of March 2013, I have started to pick up clients and I am formulating a marketing plan aimed at consistent growth at a reasonable pace. I have the website to finish up and a series of workshops that I would like to offer in the fall of 2013. In addition, I am still consulting to a few companies and I have a very exciting project that I am working on in Southeast Asia with a consortium of Entertainment Industry veterans that will open an entertainment complex offering high profile talent at a state of the art venue consisting of retail shops, a hotel, restaurants, food courts, etc.

DM: I love that your title is “Principal” at C3. What are you looking for in great Teachers? How can someone become a Coach with Creative Career Coaching?
CB: Great teachers inspire, help with focus, assist in the art and science of critical thinking and motivate their students to ask the important question; “Why?” We live in a world where information abounds and there is a tendency to accept without question that available information is “fact.” While the Internet is convenient and delivers extraordinary amounts of data, we still must question and “vet” all its sources. Outside sources must be scrutinized as well. We can only build strong foundations on fact not assumptions.

Creative Career Coaches facilitate learning and prompt their clients to probe for the answers to questions and challenges that confront them. Coaches assist and encourage clients to reach as far as they can inside themselves and then push them just a bit more to achieve their goals. We help create plans and support the facilitation of those plans towards a desired goal or result. I believe that in order to be an effective coach, one must understand the business environment in which the client lives. I believe knowledge of the specific industry is paramount to success. As a coach I enjoy doing my homework and researching a specific type of project or area clients are working in. I believe learning is a life-long process. I love it and would be content to be a full time student for the rest of my life so coaching gives me a chance to learn while I am teaching and that is an incredible “bonus.”

Anyone who has enjoyed success in a chosen field of Entertainment and embraces the C3 philosophy of coaching is welcome to contact me to discuss a position.
DM: How can Artists, Actors and Entertainment Professionals become involved with the company? Is there a specific selection process in your clientele?
CB: All potential clients are invited to contact C3 to discuss what they are interested in working on and to understand how the C3 method of coaching works. The only requirement is a desire to succeed and the willingness to work hard in order to realize their goals and to achieve success. Coaching is interactive and is only successful if a high level of accountability is part of the process. Clients are asked to make a commitment to the work and to the process. They have assignments that when completed, help to identify trouble spots, new paths to success and act as a way to measure progress. Coaches make similar commitments to their clients and the agreement must be mutual in order for it to work. I am very selective about the C3 clientele as time is very valuable so ONLY work with people who are as committed to the process as we are to them.

DM: Having a company like C3 will create so much awareness and hopefully increase the overall productivity and success within the industry. Are you and the company looking to partner with other entertainment companies?
CB: C3 services are available to individuals as well as companies. We can facilitate team-building, communication, mediate issue and stimulate productivity. In order to maintain objectivity and to keep the C3 philosophy and mission as pure as possible, I hope to remain independent. I have a vision and as long as that vision remains intact I am happy with the working arrangement.

DM: If there were one solid piece of advice you could share with someone just entering into the Entertainment business, whether it is a singer, actor, writer or talent scout, what would it be?
CB: As with all things in life, the person must be sure of what he or she wants. It is a bit difficult to project out into the future but that very process is paramount to success. You must be fearless and dare to dream. You must act as if there are no boundaries, no roadblocks; no limitation to what it is you want to achieve and to do with your life. Once you can answer certain questions about your desires and dreams, you can set your course, make your plan and work towards your goal.

DM: Looking at your career, thus far, what has it meant to you overall?

CB: I love what I do and to be paid to do something that you love to do is quite a gift. I feel blessed and content with my career and life achievements but I have more to contribute, more challenges to conquer and C3 is providing me with that opportunity.