As I sit here reflecting on my second year at Adams State, I can’t say enough about how lucky I have been. I’m surrounded by nothing but support as I’ve started job and internship searches and my professors have been absolutely incredible in helping hone my skills. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get in contact with Byron Vall, the general manager at a venue I was going to see some shows at. He was kind enough to let me shadow him and his crew for the two days I was in Denver and I cannot put into words how grateful I feel. The crew was incredible and I learned so much in those two short days. Byron also agreed to let me interview him via email so I could pick his brain some more about exactly what it is that he does!
Byron was kind enough to show me what his show day schedule looks like and even let me look at some templates for the paperwork he does for every show. Honestly, this was one of the most interesting insights I’ve been able to get because I was able to figure out what I need to start researching now in order to be ahead. I was also able to work and talk with the stagehands, security crew, and front of house engineers on both nights and couldn’t believe how different those days were. It was really cool to be able to experience this first-hand and get an inside look at the field I am dying to go into! I’m so grateful for the memories made and experiences gained on this trip. Once again, I was reminded of my passion for live music.
How did you first discover your passion for live music?
I began playing piano at a very young age, and performed throughout this. Once in high school I picked up a guitar and joined jazz band. From there I started playing in bands. It’s a pretty typical pathway, ha. But reality is I started playing music before I got into shows. Once I started playing music similar to what I listened to (jazz / rock vs. the classical that I played on piano) and could see those artists live, I grabbed ahold of it and started attending concerts very regularly.
What was your inspiration or motivation to go into the management area of music business?
Funny story actually. I began college as a performance major. After a few months decided that I should do something that has to do with business because I didn’t believe there was much that I could do with a performance degree, as I was no maestro. I started taking marketing and business classes and really enjoyed it. The reality was I knew I needed to do something business related so I could find work easier and not be stuck without a job.
Working your way up to your current position was no easy feat, I’m sure. Would you be able to explain briefly how you became the General Manager for The Summit Music Hall?
This story is hardly brief, but essentially I started as a Marketing intern at a 250 capacity venue called Larimer Lounge. They then hired me as their ‘door guy.’ Once I graduated they hired me as their ‘marketing director’ and then I started managing the venue as well. After a couple years in that position, I had begun to look elsewhere for work and had a friend who was interning here at Soda Jerk Presents. I sent in my resume and had a conversation with the owner. I thought nothing was coming out of it until about 6 months later I got a call to interview. I started at Marquis Theater as GM in March of 2012. After 4 years at Marquis, there was some restructuring at Summit Music Hall, and I was asked to come over and manage Summit! That’s about as short as I can make it! Ha!
What has been the greatest struggle you have had to overcome working your way to your position?
Being patient is super important. Positions that aren’t part time or entry level are very scarce in the music business, at least in my experience. And it may take a lot of ‘paying your dues’ at various levels to get where you want to go. So I guess I would say my greatest struggle is to keep my eyes on the prize, work hard, and patiently wait for things to open up or go my way.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone would have told you before you got into your current position?
So many different scenarios can pop up within venue management. Learning how to adapt and effectively deal with conflict goes a long way, and people will respect that.
Are you at all concerned with the preservation or longevity of the live music industry?
I’m intrigued to see where it goes from here. There are always more artists, more venues, and more revenue streams being tried out. But as of now, I see this is one of the only reliable revenue streams for the music industry for agents, artists, and venues. So I don’t necessarily see it slowing down as a whole. Although I AM very concerned with the corporate takeover of the industry.
I know we talked briefly about how your performance background has helped you in your line of work, would you mind elaborating on any of these benefits?
Well if I get frustrated or burned out, it’s easy for me to sit down at my piano and remind myself that I love music at the base level, and that’s why I got into this business. So that’s a plus. There are also situations where I’ll know how gear works, or what it’s like to be stressed out at a show, or geek out over gear with people on tour. I guess a good benefit is that it allows me to connect better with artists and relate to people who I’m working with during each show.
As technology continues to progress, do you think your job roles will alter? How so?
As far as my day to day business goes, I think programs will develop and make my job easier when it comes to the accounting side, or alcohol inventory side, the menial tasks, etc. I don’t really see it changing running or advancing shows that much in the near future, though.
What are your favorite/least favorite aspects of venue management?
I used to think my favorite thing would be the shows. That is a great plus, seeing tons of music. But what I realized my favorite aspect is working with, getting to know, and befriending a lot of people in a similar boat as me with the same passions. There are a lot of people in the industry who aren’t necessarily genuinely in it for the right reasons. I really enjoy meeting other people who are fun to work with and enjoy what they do. You can tell who is in it because they love it almost immediately, and they tend to be great humans.
My least favorite aspect of the shows is probably dealing with the after effects of hard partiers. Cleaning up broken stuff, puke, messes, fights, etc. I have security and they typically handle everything, but it still is kind of a bummer to see people over party and make fools of themselves. Especially because everyone is there because they have one thing in common, that they love that artist. I hate it when people decide to ruin that sense of community by fighting or whatever the issue is.
As a manager, are there any other tasks that you perform that someone might automatically not assume?
Oh boy. I like to be a ‘hands on’ type manager. This means I’ll help out in any way possible. Cleaning up puke, plunging toilets, helping security with rowdy crowds/ patrons. Those are just a few of those types of things. There’s so much, like painting graffiti, or fixing holes in walls or leaks. At the smaller venues, I would patch drywall, do electrical work, or consider myself a plumber. You kind of have to be able to do whatever it takes to keep the shows going.
What is the strongest personality trait someone can have looking to enter the artist management field?
Be friendly and modest! It’s incredible how much easier things are and how well people react when you show up smiling. Plus, you’ll have more fun, which is what it’s all about. This experience had the most perfect timing as I’m wrapping up my sophomore year. Not only did I learn an immense amount about
This experience had the most perfect timing as I’m wrapping up my sophomore year. Not only did I learn an immense amount about the day-to-day production of live music, I also learned what I need to work on in my next two years before graduation. I will be spending more time researching settlements and split points as well as working on quicker adaptation skills. As I work on making myself the most valuable employee candidate, I can’t help but think about how beneficial this experience will be as I venture on to my last two years of schooling. Again, I am so thankful to Byron and everyone at Summit Music Hall for this incredible opportunity!
Emily K Johnson 