We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madeline Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Madeline , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have known since I was a child I wanted to be in a creative industry. I was always interested in music, entertainment and fashion. I was raised listening to soul and rock n roll. Some of the first artists I was exposed to were Elvis, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner and many others. My favorite channel when I was a kid was E! (Entertainment television). I had to see every award show from the GRAMMYS to the Oscars. I always had to have the new CD’s when new albums came out and remember the hype around iconic releases when I was in school such as Speakerboxx/The Love Below, The College Dropout and Songs About Jane. As soon as I graduated High School I knew I wanted to be in the Entertainment Industry but not sure exactly what I wanted to do. I started throwing events and managing artists with some of my friends that were also interested in music. This launched my life into wanting to work in the music business. I changed my major from Communications and PR to Music and Entertainment.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got my start in music really when I was in college. I started managing friends that were artists and throwing parties and when I moved back to Atlanta I started interning with some major companies in the music industry that really helped me to get my feet wet and start seeing which part of the industry I was most interested in. I interned for The GRAMMY’s, PlayPro Media, SESAC and Live Nation. Three days after graduating with my Bachelors dual degree in Music and Entertainment business and Public Relations I got my first real job in the music Industry at SESAC. From there I worked at Live Nation, BMI and now Rival Entertainment. Most of my career has been split between PRO’s (BMI & SESAC) and Live entertainment (Live Nation & Rival Entertainment). During the pandemic when everything was totally shut down I realized how much live music drives me and I had to get back to it. Rival Entertainment had an opening when venues started back. I applied for the Rental Manager position and I don’t think I have ever had a job quite so perfect for my skill set. I love working in live entertainment and booking some of my favorite artists to play at our venues. There is nothing more exciting than seeing someone in a tiny venue and knowing one day you will see them on the big stage.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

This is something I did utilize but I think most don’t utilize as they should. Internships. I was in an amazing program at Kennesaw State University in the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business program. Before I was in this program I knew I wanted to be in music and was doing small things such as managing artists but this program gave me the tools to dive deeper and point me in the right directions. I was only in the program for maybe 2 years and had 4 internships in the time it took me to get my certificate. These internships and the things I learned in class are what set me up for success to get my foot in the door. I ended up working for 2 or the 4 internships, SESAC and Live Nation, and did work with the GRAMMY’s after my internship was over. There is no telling where I would be without this program and these internships. Today I have the job of my dreams working with artists and in live entertainment everyday.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Go to concerts and buy merch when you can. The environment surrounding music and making money from it as an artist has changed so much during my lifetime. One thing I saw quite a bit working at a PRO is how artists make less (quite a bit less) than a penny per stream. While it is still important to stream your favorite artist’s music, if you want to really support an artist buy tickets to their shows and merch. They get a way larger portion of the money. For example Spotify pays between $0.001 and $0.008 per stream to artists, while Apple music stated that its average payout per stream is $0.01. Plus there is no other feeling than being at a packed out show of your favorite artist!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.centerstage-atlanta.com/venue-rental/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_madelinefaye/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-jackson-94759893/