Respecting Artistry in the Business of Music
My connection to music began long before I gave any thought to its commercial side. At three years old, I was pulling vinyl from my dad’s collection, studying the covers, dancing to Hendrix, Cream, and Steely Dan. By five I had my first guitar. Scales and theory tested my patience, but I shut myself in my room until I could master the opening riff to “Purple Haze.” It was frustrating, but it instilled persistence.
In 1992, everything shifted. At a friends roller-skating party I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Raw. Defiant. Transformative. Soon after, I convinced my parents buy me a red Stratocaster with a 10 in Crate amp and a BOSS distortion pedal, just like Kurt Cobain’s. Two years later, my dad took me to see Eric Clapton. My first concert. The sound, his mastery, the audience, it was overwhelming. From that night forward I knew music would define my life.
I practiced relentlessly. Saturdays were spent at Guitar Center trading riffs with older players while my dad looked on. At eleven I formed a band. We wrote constantly, rehearsed obsessively, and cycled through members until we had the right group. Eventually, Island Records signed us.
I went from dreaming about playing guitar to signing with a major label. I know the grind. Pouring yourself into songs only to be told they are not good enough. Touring as the opener in front of crowds waiting for the headliner. It is humbling. It is punishing. But it forged my respect for artistry, the kind that only comes from living it.
That respect drives how we lead TEN2 Media. Too often, conversations focus exclusively on virality, streaming economics, quarterly earnings, and mergers and acquisitions. These factors are real and important, but they risk obscuring a fundamental truth: every artist who chooses this path takes enormous personal and professional risk. Every artist faces rejection, sacrifice, and years of unseen effort before a single listener ever experiences their work.
Music is not merely content. It is not just a product to be optimized solely for metrics or revenue. Music is an essential part of human life, and artists are the ones who create it. When artists share their work with labels, managers, or platforms, they are entrusting their livelihood to those systems. That trust is sacred and demands seriousness, care, and respect.
This principle extends beyond any single company. Across the industry, whether dealing with emerging talent, established performers, or legendary estates, the same foundation must apply: without the artist, there is no business. Artistry comes first. The business exists to serve that artistry, not the other way around. Companies that invest in artists, protect their work, and respect the creative process build sustainable businesses and preserve the cultural and human value of music.
