Nigel & The Dropout by Nigel & The Dropout

Table Of Contents

Page

Executive Summary:

Introduction:

Mission and Vision Statements:

Music Industry Overview:

Artist Biography:

Key Players:

The Audience:

Graphics and Branding:

Recording Project:

Electronic Press Kit:

Merchandise:

12-13

Pre-Release Promotions:

Booking & Touring Plan:

History of Shows

Future Tour Plans

16-18

Media Strategy:

Fan Base Development:

Website/Technology:

Distribution/Retail Strategy:

Special Events:

Partnership with other Artists:

Video Production:

Songwriting:

Sponsors/Investors:

SWOT Analysis:

Goals:

Financial:

Conclusion:

Appendix:

30-43

Executive Summary Detroit indie dance rock band, Nigel & The Dropout, has made a lasting impression with their soaring guitars, heavy synths, and weaving harmonies on fans across the Midwest. The duo is a hands on, do it yourself, crazy driven team whose passion for music is clearly heard in their chaotic utopia of sound. Members Andrew Ficker and Nigel Hemmye were in the midst of preparing to release their third album, Tumultuous, when decided to join forces with a management team. Deanna Lawrin and Taylor Burandt came together to collaborate on working with an artist that matched their passion and love for music, who also had a drive to further advance their sound in the entertainment industry. After forming a previous friendship with Nigel and The Dropout, this finally felt like the opportune moment to have the chance to work together as a team. Deanna and Taylor acted as talent coordinators and talent managers along with creating this Artist Management Plan for the band. A combination of a business and marketing plan which will help further Nigel & The Dropout’s career and artist development, Deanna and Taylor formed new strategies and marketing tactics that will expose the band’s music and to develop a solid fan base including the following: • Booking • Social Media Presence • Revision of Media Sites • Written Biography and One Sheet • Development of Mail Data Log • Promotion (Fliers) • Connecting with Local Music Blogs and College Radio The management team gathered all of the elements that make up Nigel & The Dropout, expanding upon the who, what, when, and why in the Artist Management Plan. Taylor and Deanna took this opportunity with Nigel & The Dropout to help gain some hands on experience and get a taste of what it would be like to be a band manager. Being out in the field talking with bookers, managing budgets, sharpening communication skills, and putting marketing tactics into action. With all of these tools being exercised, Taylor and Deanna feel like it has given them one step further into the door of the music industry, forming stronger networks and great connections for both themselves and the band. They wish to continue working together with the band after this initial term is completed

Introduction Nigel & The Dropout is an indie dance rock duo from Detroit, Michigan. Soaring guitars clashing with heavily chopped samples, hard hitting percussion with a mixture of ambient synths layered upon vocal harmonies creates the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate soundscape of rock and electronic fusion. Their performances are nothing short of a spectacle; incorporating their new light show during live sets, Nigel & The Dropout captivates audiences with their energetic stage presence, quirky personalities, and amazing musicianship by creating such a large sound the old fashioned way, never using laptops. Their passion on stage is infectious; having the crowd feed off of their high dialed sound always gets everyone dancing. Members Andrew Ficker (Vocals/Guitar) and Nigel Hemmye (Keys/Synth/Percussion) are extremely hands on with every aspect of their music; they are the epitome of a do it yourself artist, which truly translates in their work. Deanna Lawrin and Taylor Burandt worked together as a management team for Nigel & The Dropout. They are both students at Columbia College Chicago who share the same drive to pursue the fast paced dog-eat-dog world of the music industry. Their goal for this project is to obtain hands on experience in the field of talent management, giving them the opportunity to further advance their industry skills. During the past four months, Deanna and Taylor had learned how to deal with the obstacles talent management threw at them. Ultimately strengthening their drive, organizational skills, patience, networking, and researching skills throughout the process of artist development. Together, they have compiled and implemented a plan to help further develop Nigel & The Dropout to further their career in the industry as well as their own. Working closely with the band, the management team is currently putting their plan into action and hope to continue to work together after this term is finalized. (See appendix A: Artist Interview Questions)

Mission Statement

Management: Mission Statement: To help artists who share the same love and drive for music as we do by advancing their work and further develop their own unique artistic edge. Vision Statement: Create a foundation for independent artists to help launch them into the industry with a strong management plan that supports their creative endeavors by providing guidance to the musicians.

Nigel & The Dropout Mission Statement: Having the artistic freedom to channel their sound fusion to the masses by being hands on with creative development, production, and branding. Creating a utopia of sound where people can escape and get lost in, the band voids all uses of laptops in their music, being true to an organic sound. Vision Statement: Reaching out to larger music markets by touring shows for their newly released third album Tumultuous by booking SXSW and Sasquatch festivals. Ultimately being financially comfortable and have a fan base support to be able to perform overseas while being true to themselves and their musicianship.

Music Industry Overview Indie dance rock derived from the term “independent,” which is known as the do-ityourself attitude of its bands and the small, lower-budget nature of the labels that produce the music. Before management came along to work alongside Nigel & The Dropout and 9G Records, they were in control of every aspect of their music creativity, vision, and performances. Nigel & The Dropout are continuously exploring their sound as a band by layering harmonies, synths, guitars and drums with an electronic fusion. Their music is undoubtedly danceable and catchy in a unique way that keeps you wanting more. Indie dance rock is notorious for exploring sounds, emotions, and lyrical subjects that do not appeal to large, mainstream audiences. For many artists, indie dance rock has come to symbolize originality and forward thinking in creating music which is exactly what Nigel & The Dropout strive for as musicians.

Band/Artist Bio, History, and Functions While in high school, Nigel Van Hemmye and Andrew Ficker were both apart of a four-piece band called “Los Calos.” Soon after one of the members left, another band called “The Flares” was briefly in play. After zero releases and a couple of small shows, two more members of The Flares left to college elsewhere, leaving both Nigel and Andrew to continue creating music without them. After dropping out of high school, Andrew picked up the guitar and experimented with recording music. Nigel continued learning how to play percussion in school, then bass and eventually progressed to keys. The duo continued exploring their sounds together by making electronic-influenced music on a computer using the program, Fruity Loops. Upon the cessation of education in their late teens, Nigel & The Dropout was formed. This indie dance rock duo now loops themselves into a spacious, psychedelic soundscape filled with both organic and electronic elements. Soaring guitars clash with heavily chopped samples, hard hitting percussion, ambient synth and layered vocal harmonies. Sometimes danceable, occasionally epic and washed, the duo commands chaos with four hands and feet into a unique live show. Indie in every sense of the word; musicians Andrew Ficker (Vocals/Guitar) and Nigel Hemmye (Keys/Synth/Percussion) play every instrument, record, mix and master all of their own productions with a synchronized light show while also creating their own videos.

Other Key Players Deanna Lawrin (Management) Deanna Lawrin is currently working as a Talent Buying Intern at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. Along with various previous internships including Summer Tour Management for the band ‘The Locals’ and scouting for House of Blues showcase with indie record label Music Mind Records, Deanna has also taken many classes at Columbia College Chicago that strengthened her knowledge and experience within the music industry. She was a part of AEMMP Records, which is a student run record label at Columbia College, and helped organized 2013 SXSW showcase at the Bat Bar down in Austin, Texas. During her Entertainment Marketing course, she was part of a production project which through a concert at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago. This production project included scouting artists, event promotion, stage management, and collecting fan data information. Deanna Lawrin is also a musician. She is currently recording her first EP with producer Nathan Wilson and is also working as a DJ with Glitter Glam Productions. She is currently managing local Detroit band Nigel & The Dropout.

Taylor Burandt (Management) While studying Art Entertainment Management at Columbia College Chicago, Taylor Burandt has been involved in coordinating a music and comedy event at the Quincy Wong Center as well as a fundraiser and art exhibition for North Branch Projects in Albany Park, Illinois. She assisted producer, Dylan Holfus on his student film Persistence of Memory as well as Miriam Tenner’s independent film, Cash and Quinn. Currently, Taylor Burandt is managing Nigel & the Dropout, an indie dance rock band from Detroit.

9G Records Established in San Francisco, California in 2011, this record labels intent is on the promotion of its artists’ music first and foremost. 9G prides itself on getting the

word out on the sounds that get into your soul and make you dance. Whether by traditional promotional means or by new and social media, the goal is to help our artists do what they do best: make their music desired and available to the world. With a roster that encompasses an ever-widening variety of electronic music, from house, to electro, to techno, to nu-disco, dub and moombahton, 9G Records is just good music. Based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. (See appendix B: Business Cards)

Your Audience According to Facebook Analytics, the majority of Nigel & The Dropout fans are male and females ranging from 17 -26 years old. Caucasian and attending college or working intermediate level jobs, these fans reside in urban and suburban areas in the northern Midwest and West Coast. They are artistic individuals who enjoy going to local concerts, art shows, warehouse parties, and support local breweries. These fans appreciate and identify with the do-it-yourself spirit of the band because it is reflected in their own lives as well. They appreciate underground bands, sticking to the electro/indie rock genres. Other artists they follow include Thom Yorke, Alt-J, Cat Like Thief, DANGER, Blood Orange, Flow Clark, Phantogram, The Naked And Famous, The Kodaks, of Montreal, Funeral Suits, La Luz, The Drums, Foals, The Maccabees, Wild Nothing, James Blake, and more. They want to change the world on their own terms while feeling inspired, not leading the typical nine to five job. Free downloading, file sharing, and streaming are their main methods of finding new music, along with attending local shows. They support artists by buying their merchandise at shows (everything and made) because they appreciate the small details and personalized touches found in their favorite bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s T-Shirts, buttons, stickers, and CD cover art. They also purchase vinyl for physical copies. Fashion is important to them. American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, Gypsy Warrior, and thrift store shopping are some of their favorite stores. Most if not all fans are internet savvy and would be found at the local coffee shop or cyber cafĂŠ with their laptops, a good Bukowski book, and a pair of headphones.

Graphics and Branding 8

Nigel & The Dropout are notoriously known for their signature “&” symbol. When trying to develop a name for the band Andrew Ficker and Nigel Hemmye were toying with the idea of just being known as “The Dropout”. After much debate, the duo wanted both members to be equally represented, so they went with “Nigel and The Dropout”; to give the name more “flair” the band replaced “and” with the symbol which became their signature piece. The “&” symbol plays an important role in the band’s image. Along with being the title of their debut album, the symbol is showcased on the all of the band’s social media sites, photo shoots, and is the cover of Tumultuous. The guys even bring a large cutout “&” to live performances, placing the symbol center stage between them as they play.

(See appendix C: Logos)

Recording Project

Nigel & The Dropout were in the process of releasing their third album Tumultuous prior to working together with management. All current and previous recordings were done at Metronome Studio in Detroit. Nigel & The Dropout evolved their previous indie dance-rock sound into a heavier approach in this third album, developing a more mature vibe while maintaining their signature flare. Studio: Metronome Studios Key Engineer: Nigel Hemmye Key Producers: Andrew Ficker and Nigel Hemmye About the Studio: Metronome Studios is a renovated factory building in Detroit, which serves as both a practice space, and recording studio to many local artists. The former meat factory now serves as a music sanctuary, housing a variety of talent in an urban artistic atmosphere that truly amplifies creative expression. Choosing to invest in this vicinity was one of the biggest and most memorably expansive changes that has overcome Nigel & The Dropout’s music. “We’ve been here for a little over two years,” explains Nigel Hemmye. “Before that it was just Andrew and I in my room in my parents basement. Having to be mindful of others living in and around noise was a serious limiting factor in creativity, not to mention a restriction on practicing ‘at level (both loud and explorative)’. I think getting the space was one of the most important parts of both us becoming dedicated musicians and finding a safe, supportive place that could become whatever we need: recording studio, jam space, practice space, inspiration factory.”

Nigel & The Dropout has recorded their entire discography at Metronome Studios, including their newly released third record, Tumultuous. Both Andrew Flicker and Nigel Hemmye work together to produce, mix, and master their recordings. Taking account of each other’s suggestion and input, each track is handcrafted in the image of the duo.

One-sheet bio/Press Kit/ EPK

Before working with Nigel & The Dropout they had an electronic press kit on onesheet.com, which was outdated and unorganized. Their background photo was covered by unnecessary widgets that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t link to any websites and they did not have a biography in the bio section. After management reconstructed Nigel & The Dropouts electronic press kit package, it now contains all of the bands information that would potentially get them booked at a venue. On the homepage there is two widgets with tracks from two different albums, a photo of Nigel Van Hymme and Andrew Ficker as well as links to their biography, Facebook wall posts, Youtube videos, and the iTunes music store. The bands upcoming shows are also listed with links to purchase the tickets, venue and location details, and links to share on Facebook and Twitter. Their EPK is essential for including in emails to talent buyers so that they can get a quick idea of their music style, history, and contact information all in one convenient location. (See appendix D: EPK screenshot)

Merchandise 11

Current Merchandise Nigel & The Dropout currently has two physical CD’s from previous albums for sale for as little as four dollars or a ‘name your price’ on their Bandcamp website.

Slice

of ∞

§§

Future Merchandise

In the next couple of months Nigel & The Dropout will be releasing new merchandise such as buttons and t-shirts to their fans which will be available for sale on their websites and at live shows. Generating new merchandise creates additional profit for the band as well as a means for promotion.

● ● ●

Standard 2 ¼ inch button

American Apparel T-shirt design

Cost of purchase: $1.45 each Cost of sale: $3.50 each Profit: $2.05 each

Cost of purchase: $8.85 Cost of Sale: $20.00 Profit: $11.15

Pre-release Promotions

Before releasing Nigel & The Dropouts third album, Tumultuous on 11.12.13 they promoted it on Facebook and Twitter page by updating their status frequently about the progress of the album. We did not have a pre-ordered list for fans wanting the new CD, but it is currently available for free download on their bandcamp website. College radio is the best way to promote to their album because students who are listening are in their target market of men and women ages 17-26. Potential radio stations that we would want to contact to promote Nigel & The Dropout and their new album, Tumultuous are: • • • • • •

WCRX at Columbia College Chicago WRBC The Blaze at Roosevelt University WHPK University of Chicago WHFR-FM (Henry Ford Community College) WUMD (University of Michigan-Dearborn) WCBM-FM (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Booking Plans

After reconstructing Nigel & The Dropoutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electronic press kit, management researched potential venues in Chicago and Detroit that the band could perform at. We considered capacity, genre of music typically played there, age and available dates from both the band and venue. After management created a hefty list of venues with their contact information and dates available we started emailing talent buyers with brief emails containing Nigel & The Dropouts EPK, availability and contact information. We received responses from about half of the talent buyers, some asked them to perform on a given date and others said they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have room on the bill or they just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it would be a good match for the venue. There were two dates the band turned down in December because they have to be work during the holiday season. Organizing all of this information was extremely important when trying to contact so many different venues from Chicago and Detroit. The band and management also had to keep in close contact with all of each other to make sure they were available for certain dates. Previous Shows Nigel & The Dropout have done several shows over the last couple of years, mostly in the Midwest region of the country but a couple in the western states such as Nevada and Arizona. Most Recently the band performed at The Subterranean in Chicago, IL on November 24th, which entailed their first synchronized light show to tracks off their new album, Tumultuous. After the successful show in Chicago, the band is eager to do several more in the Midwest to build up recognition before heading off on their summer 2014 tour.

(See appendix E: booking log) (See appendix F: talent buyer letter) (See appendix G: Booking proof)

Future Booking and Touring Plans

Since Nigel & The Dropout just released their third album Tumultuous, it would be an ideal time to go on tour. We also thought it would be beneficial to make our way down to the annual music, film, and interactive festival called South By Southwest which is held in Austin, Texas. Since the tour does not start for a couple of months it will allow the band to collect funds for the two week tour which will begin March 2nd in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Nigel & The Dropout will be sharing the bills with other local bands in these cities, not headlining. This will allow the band to play for new audiences and gain exposure in each city. Nigel & The Dropout will utilize their website and social media to help promote their first summer tour, as well as mail posters to each venue prior to ensure optimal marketing. Hotel accommodations will have to be made in most cities throughout the tour so it will be important to create a conservative budget plan before. However, there are several cities such as Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Houston where hotel accommodations will not be needed due to friends/family living in the cities. The venues throughout the tour have a capacity range of 200-550 and are able to embrace Nigel & The Dropouts indie dance rock genre of music. South By Southwest (SXSW) will be their biggest hit on the tour because this festival is notorious for having some of the biggest acts perform at this two week long music festival. Artists such as Iggy Pop, Bun B, Justin Timberlake, The Flaming Lips, The Shins, Kanye West, etc. all have performed at SXSW. Bands must cover their own expenses for travel and lodging at the event. All performers are offered a cash payment ($100 for solo acts or $250 for bands) or a wristband package that allows access to all music events. It will be a great opportunity for Nigel & The Dropout to network with other bands and people in the music industry to gain exposure. After playing three days at SXSW and one day in Houston, TX the band will have a press day in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will help expose the bands adventure thus far from the tour and at SXSW. They will have interviews and conferences set up with local radio stations to answer questions. After the press day in New Orleans, LA the band will have six days left of their tour, in which they will be stopping at all of the major cities along the way back to their hometown of Detroit, MI.

Future Routing Tour

Media Strategy 18

Currently Nigel & The Dropout will be focusing on major college radio stations in the Midwest to reach out to the media. Most of the bands fan base is men and women ages 17-26 which is generally college students. Eventually we want these radio stations to play their new album, Tumultuous as well as get some interviews set up so the media can get to know the quirky musicians of Nigel & The Dropout. The radio stations we are aiming towards are WCRX at Columbia College Chicago,

WRBC The Blaze at Roosevelt University, WHPK University of Chicago, WHFRFM at Henry Ford Community College, WUMD at University of Michigan-Dearborn, and WCBM-FM at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The play formats of these college radio stations are primarily digital mp3’s & streaming. For the bands Chicago show on November 24th at The Subterranean, management posted the event to DO312.com, which allows Chicago concertgoers to search live events by venue, day, and music genre. The more ‘likes’ the event gets the closer it gets to the ‘popular page,’ making it more likely for people to see the event. Nigel & The Dropout has been featured some Internet blogs such as Reddit, the Piratebay & most recently Gypsy Rhapsody. Potential music blogs management would love to get Nigel & The Dropout featured on are Pitchfork, Chicago Music Blog, The Barn Presents, EARGASM, Hype Machine, and indieedmusic. Most of these music blogs allow listeners to stream, ‘like’, and share tracks and albums from artists. Since these music blogs allow listeners from all over the world to hear and search for new music, it will be beneficial for Nigel & The Dropouts music to be featured to gain more recognition. On 11.12.13, the release day of Nigel & The Dropouts album, a popular record store called Village Records located in Roscoe Village played Tumultuous periodically throughout the day. Village Records also had the flier to their show at the Subterranean posted in the window.

Fan Base Development

Nigel & The Dropout have a variety of different ways reaching out into the public and spreading their music to gain devoted fans. Primarily using word of mouth by current fans and friends, the band has added different networking techniques to get their name out there. Nigel & The Dropout Bandcamp and Soundcloud: The band uses their bandcamp and soundcloud accounts to launch their recording to the masses. Releasing their new album, Tumultuous, the guys are offering free downloads of the ten track record until December 12th. Access to free downloads is a great way to gain more fans and have great exposure. Nigel & The Dropout Facebook: This is the main platform of communication that the band uses to connect and update fans. Upcoming shows, video posts, pictures, music announcements, and quirky personalized statuses keep fans engaged with the band and vise versa. Mailing List: Management is suggesting that Nigel & The Dropout start keeping a data log of emails collected at local shows. This will be put into effect on November 24th at their Subterranean concert in Chicago. After the set a few street team members will go around in the crowd collecting fans’ email addresses so they can be updated with shows, music, and other Nigel & The Dropout news. Fans’ Input: Nigel & The Dropout has gained some great recognition by fans posting the band’s music to the website Reddit.com and Pirate Bay. They were also featured on local music blogs, most recently being Gypsy Rhapsody. Fan recognition and internet presence continue to bring in fans. Management is also sending tracks to college radio stations such as WCRX, Radio DePaul, and WNUR and will continue to expand out of state. Live Events: The most effective way that Nigel & The Dropout gain fans is by playing live shows and events. When the band is on stage in their element, audiences are able to experience them as the whole package and have fun doing it! The music, energy, and personality as a band wins over crowds and turns them into devoted fans.

Web site/Technology

Websites that Nigel & The Dropout have are; a electronic press kit, Band Camp, Facebook page, Soundcloud, band website, and a YouTube channel. On their Bandcamp site you can find their digital discography, upcoming events, contact information and merch. CD’s for the albums §§, and Slice of ∞ are available for sale for $4 or more (name your price) under the link ‘merch’. Their electronic press kit or onesheet features links to their tracks on Soundcloud and iTunes, a YouTube video, biography, wall posts of general news on Facebook, contact information and upcoming shows with links to purchase tickets. On the Nigel & The Dropout Facebook page which has over 2,000 likes there are several photos of the band along with links to all of these websites, general news about what the band is currently doing, events, and contact information. Their Soundcloud page features all of their tracks from Tumultuous, §§, and Slice of ∞ which are currently available for free download.  123,135 Plays  28,535 Downloads  530 Likes  77 Comments Recently the band just re launched their website nigelandthedropout.com which features a ‘Tumultuous Teaser’ YouTube video of a live performance clip which lists the title names of their newly released album. It also now has a contact link that reads ‘Want us to play in your city? Email here!’ Their updated website also includes links to iTunes, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Nigel & The Dropout hopes to develop a bigger fan base by playing more shows in major cities in the midwest, they also try to keep social media fans updated on what they are working on and any important upcoming events. The talent buyers should not have any problems navigating around on these multiple websites because all of the information is clearly stated and easily accessible. The websites that Nigel & The Dropout use are suitable for their target audience because most men and women ages 17-26 find new music through websites like Facebook, Soundcloud and Youtube. So far social media has been the main source of promoting the band, their new album Tumultuous and their upcoming events. Pirate Bay, Reddit, local detroit music blogs, and Gypsy Rhapsody have featured Nigel & The Dropout. (See appendix H: social media sites- screenshots)

Distribution/Retail Strategy For the last two years Nigel & The Dropout has been signed with label 9G Records, which is based out of Los Angeles, California. 9G Records was thrilled for Deanna and Taylor to be working with Nigel & The Dropout because they know the Midwest region so well. Their contract with 9G records is up for renewal sometime within the next couple of months.

Special Events Nigel & The Dropout performed at Central Michigan University’s Maroonzie music and arts Festival in August and are wanting to attend and perform at more festivals this upcoming summer such as:

• • • • •

SXSW (Austin, TX)

Pitchfork (Chicago, IL) Down town sound: New Music Mondays (Chicago, IL) Wicker Park Fest (Chicago, IL) The Bubble Music Festival (Madison, WI)

By performing at these festivals it will help build their fan base in different regions of the country. People from all over The United States come to these festivals to hear their favorite band, so if Nigel & The Dropout open for one of those bands there is a good chance they will love them too.

Partnership with other Artists Nigel & The Dropout most recently played a show with local Chicago band Most Gorgeous at Subterranean on November 24th 2013. The band is expanding their network by playing with other artists outside of the Detroit area. Acting as Most Gorgeous’ supporting bans, Nigel & The Dropout had great exposure to a fragment of a Chicago fan base, starting to branch out in the area. The opener for the show was Spooky Action Space Captain, whose quirky vibes were a great introduction to the dance feel of Nigel & The Dropout’s music. Nigel & The Dropout had regularly played with Detroit bands Teenage Octopus, Flour, Biloquist, The Path, The Science Fair, and Pennsylvania band You You Dark Forest.

Video Production Producer: Andrew Ficker Co-Producer: Nigel Hemmye Song: Entropy Tumultuous will be the first album to feature a music video for Nigel & The Dropout. Being the hands-on artists that they are, Andrew and Nigel are shooting the video themselves, featuring the track “Entropy” from their new album. The video will be released on December 13, 2013. Other video associations the band were a part of was their “teaser” video for their third album, Tumultuous, showcasing the duo playing a set onstage promoting their new album release. After one week on Youtube, the teaser had 2,139 views.

Promoting their Pirate Bay Feature in 2012, Nigel and The Dropout filmed a short interview video talking about how they felt about music exchange, free downloading, and the evolution of the music industry. The video currently holds 19,040 views.

Songwriting Nigel & The Dropout’s songs are copyrighted under the band’s name, Nigel & The Dropout. The creation of developing a song is truly a marriage of the instrumentals, melody, and lyrics for the band. Andrew Ficker is the primary lyricist of Nigel & The Dropout’s compositions. Starting out with a beat that catches both members’ attention is then further developed into forming a melody, then the words follow. Behind the catchy danceable music there lies a deep story. The songs written are circled around the idea of escaping, love, chasing “the dream”, and drugs. Dark words leak through the fun-feel of the music, creating a really cool contrast to the meaning and feelings a listener gets while listening to the band. Here’s a sample off of the band’s second album “Slice of Infinity” from the track “Grinding Grin.” Could you tell the world it doesn’t matter and fuck all day and lie all day You try so hard but the moneys not there You suck anyway just die away Just die away, just die away Could you live today just to see tomorrow If I don’t wake up don’t regret and sorrow You’re an ant and its grand Fake a smile Well you’re always living in your final moment What’s the point if you’re always alone and Thinking about your very last breath Too afraid of pain to embrace your death Well I’m too strung out to feel my nose But I know gold because it glows And when the cops come back to take my shit I’ll be proud because I didn’t quit Trip downstairs and hit my head Good morning to the waking dead You’re an ant and it’s grand Happiness is on a face Your soul is louder than saving grace Run downhill with empty hands and you’ll find yourself in A broken land

Sponsors/Investors Nigel & The Dropout are in desperate need of a reliable and more spacious vehicle to travel in. Car trouble has always been an issue when booking gigs; it would break down, there would barely be enough space to load all of the equipment, and there would not be space to bring along crewmembers. So the sponsorship management would be applying for is to buy a slightly used minibus by launching a Kickstarter Campaign. Kickstarter is an amazing company that provides a platform for artists to basically pitch their projects to the public who ultimately will support them by making a donation. Every project submission had a deadline; if you do not reach your goal in the deadline given, you do not receive the donations. It’s an all or nothing kind of deal. It’s a simple process to start a campaign on Kickstarter; you simply click on “start a new project” and explain your pitch and who you are in a few short sentences. If management were to submit one about Nigel & The Dropout, they would provide a short video of the band talking about their music and how a new van would be so beneficial. They would also insert a link to Nigel & The Dropout’s music and maybe a few comical pictures of their vehicles now. Researching minivans, management found some great deals. They would be asking for a goal of $7,000 to buy a reliable used minivan. As a strategy, they would give away merchandise, provide live stream shows, free tickets, etc. according to how much a person donates, acting as a type of gift. Any donation above $25 would receive one of the following: ● Autographed CD ● T-shirt ● Autographed poster ● Live stream of a mini-concert

SWOT Analysis Strengths: ●

Performs live events and records all songs authentically without the use of laptops

●

Strong following

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Features on Pirate Bay, Absolutepunk.net, and Last.fm

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Extremely personable and self driven musicians

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Hands on with all creative aspects of their band as a brand

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Amazing stage presence incorporating a customized light show created by the band

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Major sound produced solely by the duo

Weaknesses: ●

Limited flexibility

●

Recording is time consuming due to its authentic nature

●

Limited budget for travel

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Lack of promotion

Opportunity: ●

Follow up cover feature on Pirate Bay

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Releasing their newest album this fall creates great timing for a tour

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Expanding their fan base outside of the Detroit area

Threats: ●

Very competitive genre

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Communication over the Internet can be difficult interacting with one another

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Transportation (their car) is a little unpredictable due to it's rustic nature

Goals Three Months: -Release new album Tumultuous on November 12th -Put together band bio and reconstruct one sheet -Book at least 2 shows in Chicago -Increase Facebook likes -Release music video for single â&#x20AC;&#x153;Entropyâ&#x20AC;? on December 13th Six Months: -Promote new album -Tour neighboring states (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) -Produce merchandise other than physical CDs: buttons, stickers, shirts -Set up Pirate Bay feature -Have interviews/articles posted on music blogs and/or local papers

One Year: -Create a larger tour, expanding the number of shows and states -Have a van for touring -Reach 2,000 MP3 sales -Double fan base -Get booked at a small-scaled 2014 music festival Three Years:

- Release another album -Tour the West Coast -Having a solid and dedicated fan base to support the musicianship -Sell out a 1,500+ capacity venue Five Years: -International Tour -Getting onto music television (Fuse) -Making a comfortable living -Starting to expand and experiment with their sound and brand -Holding a place in larger music festivals (Sasquatch, Pitchfork, SXSW)

Financial

Conclusion Over the last several months Deanna and Taylor have managed to strengthen Nigel & The dropout as a band by implementing a plan to guide them to great success in their future. We began by establishing short and long-term goals for the band as well as what Nigel and Andrew wanted to contrive from working with us throughout the semester. These two musicians are typically a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;do it yourselfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; type of band and like to be in control of every aspect of creating, recording, and promoting their band. Nigel Van Hymme and Andrew Ficker established their indie dance rock style of music long ago while working and recording music together since high school. Their sounds are (but not limited to) soaring guitars clashing with heavily chopped samples, hard hitting percussion with a mixture of ambient synths layered upon vocal harmonies. Their logo has been an ampersand for quite some time, which is derived from their band name Nigel & The Dropout. It has been somewhat of a staple in their image as a band and at their live shows. Management did not want to change their logo and agree that they should continue using it. Currently signed with 9G records, Nigel & The Dropout have done a couple of shows over the last two years mostly in the Midwest region. Deanna and Taylor set a goal

for themselves as managers in the beginning of the semester to get the band booked a show in Chicago, IL. First we had to polish up their electronic press kit, social media websites, and biographies. Conveniently the band released their new album, Tumultuous in the midst of management emailing several talent buyers throughout venues in Chicago and it helped get them a show at The Subterranean on November 24th. Besides getting Nigel & The Dropout a show booked in Chicago, we wanted to expand their fan base through social media and radio media attention. We also created an original band t-shirt and button to add to their merchandise for other sources of income. After working closely with Nigel & The Dropout throughout the semester, management has learned the importance of communication and organization between everyone involved. In the beginning management wanted to jump right in and get them shows booked at every possibly venue, but there were steps that we needed to take before our goals could be accomplished. By reconstructing their electronic press kit and revising their social media websites we were able to send more professional emails to talent buyers, which in the end was beneficial on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part. Management and Nigel & The Dropout saw eye to eye on most of our goals and decisions that we wanted to accomplish for each other which created an overall great team. Management sees great potential and future success for Nigel & The Dropout and hopes to continue working with them in the future.

Appendix

A) Preliminary Interview Questions Do you feel as an artist that you're at the beginner, intermediate or advanced level of their trade (singer, songwriter, producer, etc)?What work will be required to get you ready to market? “In a lot of ways I feel as though we are all across the board. I think in terms of marketing ourselves and promoting we are very much beginners. In terms of recording and creating new music we are advanced. We have produced a lot of material. Performing, I feel we are intermediate. We can play our music adequately and in an entertaining fashion, but I feel we have to work on our stage presence and our presentation and concept a lot more. To get us ready to market, I'm not really sure what would prepare us. We have recordings, visual art, a live set, and a willing attitude. I think we are nearly ready for promotion.”

What market demographic are you trying to reach? 8-12 year olds? 18-32? An ethnic market? What do you perceive your marketing angle to be? “ I don't think we would appeal to anyone younger than maybe 14 or 15. Because of our inclusion of electronic elements, we probably won't seem very palpable to anyone over maybe 40. In term of ethnic markets, its hard to say. Anyone who seems to enjoy country music doesn't like us. The majority

of our fans right now are either our friends (who are our age) or people who found us through the pirate bay, which seems to be fairly computer savvy 1635 year olds all around the world.”

What are your goals? (3 months, 1 year and 5 year) “Within the next 3 months I would hope our newest album would be released and we would have completed a new music video. We are currently working on new material as well. Within 6 months I would hope our Live set would have both a new visual element added to it as well as an entirely new and relevant set of songs. Within the year, I would hope a new album or EP would find itself culminating as well as a simplified version of our setting up our equipment on stage would be sorted out (it is very time consuming at the moment and a little bit haphazardly). In the next 3 years, I'm not entirely sure. Goals we've discussed for long term are that we would like to move somewhere with a more supportive music scene and have a "resume" chock full of respectable places we've played, be it in cities or on television shows. In all, our main goal is to break into the bottom of Music Festival posters and sneak our way to the top. In both of our experience, we see that as the one of the more plausible ways to maintain support.”

Do you absolutely love what you do? Why? “A true life is led by love. Music forces us into uncomfortable territories and experiences we would never come across otherwise. It presents a challenges, that when overcome, are very rewarding. As one of the best conversation pieces it allows connections and links to people across vast places and cultures. Also, there is no foreseeable finish line, so there is always something to do.”

Do you have any existing deals (management, productions, spec, recording, recordings)? Will any of these deals conflict with or complicate our involvement? “We are signed with 9G Records. Your involvement is encouraged by them, unless paperwork or cuts in payment are concerned, then discussion is necessary.”

Do you operate as a company or do they own any other companies (production, publishing, design, etc.)? “No.” Where do you live? City.How often have you agreed to contact each other regarding this project? And how? (in-person, internet, phone)

“We both live in Farmington Hills, Michigan and practice in Detroit. We are in contact with each other 5 or 6 days out of the week. We strive to actually meet together anywhere from 3 to 7 days a week at the practice space. When we are there, we record, create, practice and discuss ideas about our music.” Do you belong to any unions, organizations, associations or guilds? “At the time being we both work at Nordstrom. That is about it. We have a couple band friends around.”

What assets do you have (copyrights, trademarks, ect)? Do you have any debts? “We do not have any debts. We only have our music. Our branding and our image consist solely of the ampersand (&). We do not own it.” What do you believe are their strengths and their weaknesses as an artist? “I think our greatest strength is our willingness and tenacity. Devotion of time towards what we do and what we believe in. We love doing things ourselves to allow the most finite artistic control. Weaknesses I think all come from promotion and marketing. Branding is difficult, as I think that when marketed incorrectly, a lot of bands suffer from being marketed into an artistic corner and then quickly forgotten about.” Do you have lots of friends or enemies in business? “We have a couple friends in the business, stemming partly from our connections in 9G records as well as some bands we've played with.”

Have you had a manager previously? “No.” Have you put out any records or been on tour before?Where would you like to be booked? “We currently have 2 released Albums and 1 EP. 1 Unreleased album. We have never been on a tour consisting of more than 2 cities. Any sort of large music festivals or really anywhere that would be receptive to our type of music.”

Do you currently have: bio, photos, website, social media sites, logo, and merchandise? What do you feel would be a great advancement to furthering their career? “We have tons of photos, we have a domain as well as a small website. We are on Facebook most often. Our logo is thus far the ampersand (&).”

From the your point of view, what do you believe your mission statement is? What's your vision statement? “We don't really have a mission statement. We strive to learn and we want our music to represent that.” What's your story as a band? “Andrew and Nigel both went to the same high school until Andrew dropped out. Nigel was previously part of a 4 piece band from 9th grade until 11th or 12th called "Los Calos." As one of the members left and Andrew joined up to form a band briefly called "The Flares." After zero releases and a few shows at a bowling alley, two members of The Flares left to go to college elsewhere, leaving both Nigel and Andrew to continue without them. Andrew picked up playing guitar after dropping out of high school but experimented with recording throughout. Initially learning how to play percussion in school, then bass and then eventually progressing to keys, Nigel always fooled around with making electronic-influenced music on a computer using a program called "Fruity Loops."

B) Business Cards

C) Logos

D) EPK/One Sheet

E) Booking Log

F) Email to Talent Buyer

G) Booking Proof (Email from Darren Olson-Talent Buyer)

H) Relaunched Website

Facebook Band Page