Nguyen
Artist Victoria Management
September 29th, 2010
It is always something to appreciate when an artist manager forms a friendship so
close to his clients that he stands as a best man on their wedding day. This is the case
when speaking of Ian Montone and Jack White. In an industry filled with chaos,
unpredictability, and at most times pure madness one can always admire the bonding
relationships people can still form under a high-pressure roller coaster ride. Montone
currently manages The White Stripes, and has since formed a management company that
has a talent-filled roster consisting of but not limited to M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, and
Autolux. Every step Montone has taken in his career seems like a meticulous premeditated plan from day one. From his days as a lawyer to the successful launch of his
management company, Ian has proved that artist management is one of those professions
that can be as much art as it is science and business (Allen 29).
The music industry is filled with so much rich history that encompasses all
aspects of life; business, morality, desire, technology, innovation, and creation are just
some of the issues people deal with and overcome in this whirlwind of an environment. It
is stated that one has a better statistical chance of being struck by lightning that having a
number-one hit record or top-ten grossing concert tour (Frascogna, Hetherington 5). With
that said, it only proves that Montones success is without a doubt a direct result of drive
and determination.
Ian grew up in Portland, Oregon. His academic achievements consist of a degree
in philosophy from Occidental and a law degree from the Vermont Law School in 1995
(Gerber). The Vermont Law School gained accreditation for being one of the few law
schools that specialized in molding their law students into a philanthropic mindset and
encouraging them to use their knowledge to help the public. As a direct result, Montone
spent a good chunk of his career before music working for an international developmentconsulting firm in DC that dealt with market-based approaches to economic development
in challenging environments. Some of these environments include under-developed
African countries and Middle Eastern countries that surface as a result of political or
military conflict (Gerber). With this job he was able to live in many parts of the world,
some being Europe and Southeast Asia. The more an individual is able to travel and see
the world, the more character it builds. Seeing the quality of life that others lead in
countries far less developed than America gives people a strong appreciation for their
own quality of life. That experience alone can build the foundation for an upstanding and
loyal human being.
Before he even thought of entering the music industry, everything that Montone
has achieved up until this point has already put him ahead of the curve. As an artist
manager, it is an advantage if one has a law degree. Musics litigation process is no picnic
and is bound to come up many times when dealing with copyrights, publishing ordeals,
and contract. In an environment where trust isnt thrown out by the handfuls, its always
good to not have to pay and depend on another person to handle your business. Lets not
forget to mention that artist managers with other areas of expertise are always bound to
make more money in this industry.
After Ians ventures in the humanities world, he made a shift in career goals and
became a partner for Davis Shapiro Lewit Montone & Hayes, LLC. Based in Los
Angeles, this law firm is known to be one of the countrys largest music transactional law
firms. Their client roster included many artists from Britney Spears to Missy Elliot, and
plenty more (Gerber). This experience provided Montone with not only insight on the
mistakes made by many but also a gateway to countless contacts within the industry.
People within the industry are generally taught from day one to meet as many people and
learn as much about the music scene as you can (Frascogna, Hetherington 27). Building a
long list of contacts will not only help a person advance in achieving personal meetings
with decision makers, it will also help an individual gain recognition amongst other
artists and managers. No doubt Montone knew all of this already before he decided to
begin a career as a manager. The advantages of having the eyes of a music lawyer are
endless, not to mention the number of important people you meet along the way.
In a sea of management companies, an artist can definitely find themselves lost
and confused as to who they should work with. This exemplifies yet another reason why
Montones experience with the law firm helped establish his name within the industry.
Exposure to large-scale artists like Spears Britney allowed him to see the big picture of
success during a time when music was making billions of dollars. After his time at Davis
Shapiro Lewit Montone & Hayes, LLC Montone decided to branch out even further and
start his own management company. As this venture is about two years old, there is very
little information on the company and even fewer stories of success or failure. As of
today the company has brought in estimated annual sales of $1 to 2.5 million and houses
an estimated five to nine employees (Manta).
During this current success Montone has managed to continue his philanthropic
work by making sure the future of the industry is good hands. The only real lesson in life
is first hand experience and it is always refreshing when successful people who have been
in the business a while are willing to take the time to educate our youth in making sure
the same mistakes are not repeated. In 2007 Steven Scharf of Steven Scharf
Entertainment hosted a music industry panel named A Managers Survival Kit for Today
& the Future in which Montone was on the panel with other big names such as Josh
Neuman of The Ascot Club (Gerber). Montone has also taken his experience to the next
level and volunteered to speak at past SXSW festivals. Other past speakers range from
artist Booker T Jones to Steve Knopper of Rolling Stone Magazine (SXSW Inc.).
While it is quite possible that Ian Montone would have been successful in his
endeavors, its important to acknowledge the impact his law degree and first job has had
on him as a person. There are many people who lose sight of their morals and become
fixated on the idea that money equals success. Benevolent acts like Montones dont
come from thin air, these are ideals and values that he has built and to continue to help
the public through education.
From all the horror stories, it is no doubt that anyone will tell you having an
artist-manager relationship is easy. To succeed, it takes a lot of hard work along with the
willingness to communicate, compromise, and change as the relationship grows and new
challenges are presented (Frascogna, Hetherington 12). The amount of trust required is
bountiful. The fact that Ian Montone has represented Jack during his White Stripes days
and continued to support his other ventures by representing The Raconteurs shows a
strong foundation of trust. When Montone stood as Jacks best man during his wedding
news reports were all over this. When was the last time you saw someones business
partner stand as a figure that displays the utmost respect and admiration between two
men. A relationship like this is very rare in the music industry and it is all a testament to
the character, judgment, and drive of both the artist and the manager. Neither Jack White
nor Ian Montone lacks these qualities. There are many traits one can possess that would
make him or her a better manager. The best managers, just like the best business
executives, are planners (Frascogna, Hetherington 13). Motone is no exception, as his
constant goal setting has showed he will not stop in this business until he has seen it all.
An artists success is usually dependent on the skills of their respective
manager. The White Stripes impact on rock music has proven to be so monumental. In
the late 90s they produced a re-invention in rock as we knew it, increasing CD sales to
its highest before the rise of MP3. It is a wonder why their manager is given little credit
as well as media exposure. Nonetheless, their success is a small measure of the character
that Ian Montone is. His career choices, thus far is evidence of his desire, determination,
and drive. Montone has turned his life into a large business model that people should
respect, admire, and at points emulate. Intelligent lawyers are given many paths to take
during their career. It is ensuring to know that people like Montone exist and pursue these
forms of education to not only better our society but also to ensure the livelihood of the
humanities we love and cherish remain intact.
Bibliography
Frascogna Jr., Xavier M. and H. Lee Hetherington. The Business of Artist
Management. New York City: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2004. Print
Allen, Paul. Artist Management For the Music Business. Burlington: Elsevier
Inc., 2007. Print
Max Gerber. Ian Montone. World Lingo. NME.com, June 9, 2006.
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Ian_Montone. September 25, 2010.
SXSW. Past SXSW speakers. SXSW Music. Core Nap. 2010.
http://sxsw.com/music/talks/past_speakers. September 25, 2010.
Manta Media Inc. Montone Inc. Company Profile. Manta. June 15 2010.
http://www.manta.com/c/mtrnc61/monotone-inc. September 25, 2010
Artist Management Research Paper
Ian Montone
By: Victoria Nguyen
September 29th, 2010