We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Loretta Mitchell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Loretta below.
Hi Loretta, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
From 2019 to present, I have worked on a number of projects ranging from Music Promotion, Social Media Management, Graphic Design, Web Design and Music Production. Each project meant networking and working alongside various different people with different characteristics and ideas, from all walks of life. With that being said, each project was obviously of high importance to the artists and clients I have worked with and as equally as important to me, with each one having the same high level of effort injected into them regardless of the size of the project. In my opinion every project is valuable as I view them from a deeper angle, visualising the bigger picture. They are not just projects but extensions of people’s livelihoods that will contribute towards enhancing their presence, their growth and therefore their careers. That is why every project I work on is meaningful to me because first and foremost, I am very passionate about helping people and also feel a sense of achievement assisting people in reaching their goals and dreams or at least being a part of their journey towards success. It’s a very honorable position to be in and I am extremely grateful.
Loretta, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have worked in the music field for many years now but established The Yellow Drum Studio back in 2019. I started out promoting talented, upcoming Dancehall/Reggae artists, using social media as the key tool in helping their music reach a wider audience worldwide. Through networking I have met a number of industry professionals who I have learnt a lot from and visa versa, which pushed me into also working as a music production manager, networking and scouting talented upcoming Dancehall/Reggae artists from all over the world who were looking to broaden their catalogue of music, their exposure and their opportunities.
I have also been blessed to work alongside some very experienced Music Producers in the industry such as J. Nile from Yung Ruler Recordings, Cashflow Recordz, Riddims World and Timeless International to name a few. Having said this, J.Nile (Gregory Issacs son) was a key figure in my transition from music promoter alone to Production Manager. His knowledge in the industry has no end and I was blessed to have him share some of that knowledge with me, for which I will be forever grateful.
As well as managing Music Productions, I am very fortunate to also be a Web and Graphic Designer which is extremely beneficial as the work goes hand in hand. I am able to produce cover arts, flyers, E.P.K’s and build websites for the artists too and in the digital age that we live in it is vital that all artists have that online presence to not only stand out as a professional but to also have their music history and information at the ready for any potential opportunities that may arise.
The Dancehall Reggae industry is a thriving, ever changing industry. Throughout my journey networking, attending events and flying out to Jamaica twice now, I have had the privilege of meeting some of these great artists such as Street Gena, Ivoltage, Maestro Don, Young Garvey and many other industry professionals, in person. The industry is made up of various different creatives and there is room for all of us and we all have a role to play in what we do and its success but I personally feel what sets me apart and gives me an advantage over others in the industry is that not only am I female which is rare, in what I would describe as a male dominated industry but above all I am selfless. The artists that I have worked with can vouch that on many occasions I have gone above and beyond and I have an overwhelming passion to help people achieve and I am lucky to have been blessed with the skills and character to do so. Throughout my projects, not only do I get to know so many artists of whom become very good friends, I help them achieve goals and conquer challenges that they may have otherwise been unable to do, due to a lack of knowledge, finances or simply, time. I have even ended up supporting some mentally and emotionally because as much as the industry is very rewarding, it is equally challenging too on top of life in general.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Personally I have always been a technology nerd. Lol. So for me I have no fear of the digital age. What I can honestly say is that managing various social platforms is not my most favorite thing to do but I can literally do it in my sleep and it is a necessary requirement nowadays for business success. It is an amazing tool which enables us to reach people far and wide with whom we would have not had the opportunity to do so once upon a time. For those who are not so technologically minded, social media can be a real challenge. It is also very time consuming when you have to post your material on various different platforms using a specific tone of voice and targeting the content to each audience, as each platform requires a different style.
In my experience the main keys to social media success are relevant quality content, keywords and above all, consistency. You have to post daily for the algorithm to acknowledge your page as a regular content creator. You will then be recognised as a regular, so to speak and this will naturally keep your page and content in front of your audience and further a field also.
Having said that I am very much aware of the challenges of keeping on top of everything as there are so many other areas of our businesses that are of equal importance and require our attention but unfortunately it is vital otherwise you will notice your pages start to lose momentum, then views and likes etc. will drop. I have spent many nights awake posting content for promotion, to keep my following up, pages relevant, therefore enabling the artists to get the necessary exposure. Another important factor is interaction. People like to know there is a real life human being behind a page that is there to interact with comments or maybe respond to enquiries. Followers have to be treated as important. They give you the following and support that sets you apart from others and they stop and take the time to support what you do. The least we can do is acknowledge them.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My ultimate goal is not to become a person of success but rather a person of value. Value being, able to provide a service that enables another the necessary tools to propel their business to a higher level, alongside being genuinely interested in people enough to help solve their problems by being honest, nurturing and empathetic towards their needs. It’s a win-win situation at the end of the day. When you provide value to another you naturally become influential and successful.
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