Tara G. has started her own artist management and development company

Baltimore is home to tons of artists, musicians and all-around creative people. Tara George is an accomplished local musician who recently decided to help develop other artists. So we spoke with George via e-mail about her new business venture and how she hopes to become a bigger presence in Baltimore’s arts scene.

Give me a sense what your business does.
The business I came up with (The Afro Belle Agency) works with unsigned musicians to develop successful and realistic branding, marketing and career plans. It’s a cutting edge management program that I’ve been working on for years, and now I feel like turning this into a business will help out so many other people.

Why was it started?
Well I have been a freelance musician for a long time and I became more and more frustrated with certain things in the local music scene as well as the larger industry. Most people assume you’re a starving artist if you live outside the main music centers of L.A., New York or Nashville, and too many local musicians got caught up in the idea that they had to hear their music on national radio stations or get their albums in the Billboard Top 100 in order to label themselves as successful. The other major thing that frustrates me is the lack of communication and community between musicians. People claim that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America, but whenever I go to concerts anymore, I see this same sort of tendencies.

While it’s been great to see this revolution taking place (especially in the indie scene) where unsigned artists and indie labels are enjoying unprecedented levels of success, it seems like the main “voice” being heard is younger, White America. I have sort of tailored my business to help minorities and different cultures get their voices out there in the indie music world. I’ve seen Islamic punk bands, Latin experimental dance bands. … It’s not just a “black and white” thing.

Is this your full-time gig or a side hustle?
This has been a part-time endeavor so far, but I will be making the switch to full-time hopefully by early 2010!

Were you discouraged at all by the economy?
The state of the economy doesn’t bother me too much. Breaking into the music industry can be tough in itself, no matter what the state of the economy is. Since it’s becoming increasingly harder to find a “traditional job,” starting my own business and taking my career into my own hands was a great move.

What tools do you think make it easier for young people to start their own businesses?
THE INTERNET!! I cannot emphasize how much the Internet has revolutionized the art of entrepreneurship. Young people are naturally inclined to experiment more with technology, so our generation has an incredible advantage.

What’s your ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal is to see and help more minorities break into the “mainstream” independent music scene and one day run a community-based school for the arts.

If you’d like to reach Tara, e-mail her at tara@soulstringsmusic.com or soulstrings@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter. If you know anyone with an interesting side hustle, e-mail bchrisnelson@gmail.com

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