We'd like to think everybody is behind Parallel Tribes. It's a community after all but here's two of our mentors that kicked it off
Geoff Pearce
Music Licensing & Copyright Mentor
Having made a living from music all my life, I’ve seen the music industry from different angles. As a musician, as an artist manager, from a label viewpoint and even as a University Lecturer in Music Business Studies.
I’d worked professionally as a guitarist for several years before studying acoustic bass at Leeds School of Music. Leeds was the first music college in the country to offer a non-classical course and I’d developed a love of jazz. After Leeds I headed home to London and worked as a freelance musician in West End Theatres, Clubs and other venues and playing sessions for Radio, TV and recordings. Around that time, I joined a band signed to Polydor and played on a couple of albums. As with so many, the sales were not great but it awakened an interest in the business side of the industry.
My next venture in music sprang from this. After forming, playing bass in and organising a band for the soul singer Ruby Turner, I took over her management when her manager retired. A recording deal with Jive Records and publishing with Zomba Music followed as did internationally successful record releases. I managed other artists and was involved in further label and publishing deals and then as the industry started to mutate with the commercial shift from analog to digital and the arrival of the internet I was involved with the development and running of several small labels. Just to make life more interesting I set up a Higher National Diploma in music performance with a colleague of mine which is still running via Birmingham City University.
Since my days as a full time musician the industry has changed significantly in the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of music. This has presented new challenges. Building an audience, developing your market, consolidating a fanbase and defining your income streams is what Parallel Tribes is all about.
Steve Manley
Digital Marketing Mentor
I have been involved in music management and marketing for longer than I care to remember but my forte is digital marketing and awareness running a number of business initiatives involved in digital marketing and business growth.
During the 1990's I managed a few local bands in Birmingham in what can only be described at the time as a difficult, incestuous business. In reality I didn't know enough people and found it impossible to make any headway. Without the internet it was a case of knocking on doors and making phone calls hoping that the right A&R person would listen to the music. I made in roads into Virgin Records taking one band to the verge of being signed only for them to fall at the last hurdle.
In 2005 I was, for my sins, the guy that put Crazy Frog merchandise onto the shelves of many stores worldwide after spotting the potential for market growth in mobile phone ringtone Intellectual Property and since then I have managed the digital marketing campaign for a well know online dating site. I still mentor small businesses to help them grow however;
My passion is music and more especially helping unsigned bands and artists build their profile and awareness for their music. Since 2010 I have been mentoring many musicians, encouraging them to become truly Independent within this brave new music business and this is where Parallel Tribes came from. It's an initiative where I can focus a wealth of experience to help a number of musicians to work together to market themselves and their music on a huge scale.