Duane Buford (former band member of Ministry) Talks About Artist and Product Management

      As a music professional and entrepreneur, I recognize the importance of consulting with and learning from those who have paved the way for others, through their own success. Obtaining sound advice from such experts is critical to your success in many ways. Consequently, I decided to interview Duane Buford, who is an award-winning composer, sound designer, entrepreneur, and former member of the well-known band, Ministry. Since he was once an artist in a famous band, and now functions in the role of product manager within his own company, he was a logical choice for acquiring practical knowledge on the subjects of artist and product management.

     

      Duane told me that he used to record and work on music at a studio located on North Halsted in Chicago, called Chicago Trax Studio. It was there that he made the connection with Ministry members, who heard his original music, liked it, and eventually asked him to join the group. His role as a group member included doing the programming for a couple of albums, and becoming the touring keyboardist from 1996 to 1999. According to Screenmag, Buford worked on commercials for advertising agencies like Leo Burnett, at a music house. Eventually this outside passion led to his exit from the group, and the creation of his business in 2003, DuaneBuford.com, which is a music for media business. According to Duane, there were no hard feelings about his leaving, because it was just time for him to move on so that he could pursue his personal endeavors.

     

      Duane spoke about the artist management experience he had as a member of ministry, which he says was an excellent one. There was one manager for Ministry, and some of the other bands he managed were extremely famous, large bands. Despite the fact that the artist manager had a large roster, he was very effective at his job because nothing ever faltered. Duane said that his income was never touched or short, because the manager was very professional and honest. Consequently, the band and the artist manager did not experience any legal issues or problems between them. For example, the backstage riders, tour accommodations, etcetera, were exactly the way that they should have been, and everything was always done to the letter. Duane stated the manager certainly earned his salary because all aspects were handled properly, such as contracts, touring, merchandising, and recording aspects; and he was excellent at planning and organizing. Additionally, the manager never had to control individual band member personalities or tempers, because there were rarely any issues at all. Furthermore, if anything did occur, the band handled the issue, so he never had to intervene or deal with any interpersonal issues.

    

      Duane’s position on artist management was that if an artist manager can bring something significant to the table, then the manager is definitely worth having and it will be beneficial for the artist. For example, many artist managers have been in the business for many years, and have consequently developed numerous lucrative relationships with various important people, and such a situation could possibly result in millions of dollars for both the artist and the manager.

      Now that Duane has been in business for himself for many years, he has learned quite a lot about product management.  Specifically, he talked about his firsthand experience with the five core competencies of product management. They are listed in the “Product Manager’s Field Guide” from Full Sail University as the following: 1) drive business results 2) deliver results through people 3) ensure market-driven direction 4) guide product “fit” and function and 5) manage multiple priorities. Duane’s insights on these topics are listed in the sections following below.

• Drive business results – Duane stated that in music, you never know what type of genre a specific client will need, whether it is a film score, vocals for a video game, or a 30-second song for a commercial. Therefore, he said that you have to know what each project will technically entail, and you must know what each project needs in order to deliver what the client needs.

• Deliver Results through people – Duane contracts out people for different projects and different reasons. He advised that you never hire your friends or romantic interests. Buford stated that it is important to get the right people to build your team and to ensure that it is an appropriate fit. He also advised that whomever you get, has to have a great attitude and an excellent work ethic.  Duane added that you must know whom you are working with, in anticipation of what they might or might not do.

• Ensure market-driven direction - At his level of work, Duane does not really deal with ensuring market-driven direction, so he had no comments on this particular competency.

• Guide Product Fit and Function – Duane basically stated that a fit would only come about if you were ready to do the job, and you have to be the appropriate musician for the project. He also added that you have to know your job in regard to music, music theory, composition, engineering skills, and the gear you are using. A great book Duane recommended that musicians and composers read is "Dance Music Manual" by Rick Snoman, because it teaches you how to become a self-contained musician.

• Manage Multiple Priorities – Buford explained that there was no one else to help him, so he was forced to do multiple things at once. However, he has attorneys and accountants he calls when necessary. He also uses Excel spreadsheets a lot, as well as his Smartphone and iPad, so he can stay connected when away from the computer. He advised that it is important to keep good documentation, and to keep it in one place such as the Cloud.  Duane also uses Google Drive, and in Gmail he separates his mail through labeling, so it stays organized for reference later. Additionally, he uses Outlook and Sky Drive, and he keeps his music cues where they can be accessed instantly anywhere, and at any time. For Duane, this is critical for managing multiple priorities successfully. Although time management has been a constant challenge for Duane, he advised not to let too many projects overwhelm your time and to try to stay organized. He said that you should work on the most important thing that needs your attention, and then work your way down to the less important things.

      In essence, Duane Buford is a jack-of-all-trades, definitely a leader in his industry, a great source for advice, and an excellent example for any entertainment business professional to study for multiple reasons. I encourage you to visit his website and to also search for other music professionals like him, in order to learn as much as possible about artist and product management, especially if this is your chosen career field.