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

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I would say the most meaningful project I worked on has been taking on freelance writing projects, from ideation to published work. Some of the most influential musicians, actors, comedians and other entertainers have been subjects of my stories for the past 20 years. On the music side, from Nile Rodgers and Gloria Estefan to Rihanna and Imagine Dragons, I have covered nearly every genre and I have enjoyed speaking with the legends just as much as the emerging acts. In film and TV, I have spoken with everyone from Jeff Daniels and Corey Hawkins to Kate Walsh and Danielle Brooks. There have been Broadway stars, entrepreneurs, fashion icons and more.

I think the skill of writing is one that has propelled my career in many ways and helped me in various aspects of my life, as I also work in brand marketing and events. I remember taking a creative writing class in high school and feeling empowered and later getting bits of praise from professors in college. Back in college, in Washington, D.C. I started writing for my school newspaper and I got bitten by the bug, which took me one summer to various stages and amphitheaters covering Usher, David Bowie, Moby, Lenny Kravitz, Pink, Alanis Morissette and lots more.

To me, the relationships I have built with music industry professionals, including publicists, record label execs, artist managers, attorneys and others are the reason I have been successful as an entertainment reporter. I think building up a track record of not only great work but a reliable ability to treat artists and their teams with respect has allowed me to continue pitching and booking amazing talent.

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 performed from kindergarten through college, thinking I would be some kind of performer. Once I got around to thinking about majors, I realized the business side of things would make more sense, and my performance background has really impacted my decision-making and industry knowledge.

I took piano and saxophone lessons as a kid, but I never applied myself with enough practice and my piano teacher Mrs. August was incredibly patient with me. She knew I was absorbing things, but also recognized that I was excelling as a singer. She introduced things to me that gave me a stronger toolbox for singing and it completely impacted my background in music. I have had so many wonderful music teachers over the years, I think of them often and believe they kept my spirits up no matter what was happening in my life.

It feels like I have been in the industry for most of my life. My mom enrolled me in the New England Conservatory of Music, which has a Youth Chorale. I practiced and performed with them nearly every weekend of high school in languages I never knew, recorded two albums and had the opportunity to tour around Italy, London and Paris. I learned work ethic as well as teamwork and it was difficult but one of the most rewarding moments as a teenager. My dad picked up a Rolling Stone around the time I was in 8th Grade and I was not a lover of reading at the time. This was the tipping point for me to devour something with words and ideas, and I really loved reading once I had my own weekly issues of the magazine.

The real breakthrough in the industry was probably in college when I was communicating actively with music and record label publicists. Many ignored me or didn’t give me the time of day, some got to know me and others seemed to make me earn their trust. I can think of a handful who I have worked with since starting with my college newspaper. There have been different breakthroughs with me on the writing front – I think one was booking Bruno Mars with an exclusive interview between his appearances on SNL and Ellen. Another was landing an interview with Miranda Lambert for one of the publications I helped to grow – Miranda was the first major interview I landed for this magazine and it led to so many more incredible interviews including Dan + Shay, Imagine Dragons, Bebe Rexha, Enrique Iglesias, The Pretenders, Hall & Oates and so many more. I’ll add that one of my interview highlights was when Gloria Estefan told her rep that she would finish the interview when I was done. I was floored by that and respect her so much for being present in the conversation and so gracious with her time. I would say the same for Nile Rodgers, the only artist I have interviewed twice, who was in person on the second time. I read his book and that guy has more stories than anyone I’ve spoken with.

My writing has also taken me to some other moments that were exciting including writing bios for various artists, including Jason Derulo and Mystery Skulls, among others, numerous press releases and other marketing materials for music industry projects and others in various industries including RFPs for ad agencies, copywriting for magazines, newsletters, social media and more.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I would say that my career has been non-linear and for so many reasons out of my control. It’s been a pain point for me at times, but it’s also been a blessing and something that continues to keep me relevant. I have been able to pivot and use my skill set for a variety of roles that encompass music/entertainment, media and marketing.

There are three industry areas that I feel I was close to but I was never exactly given the opportunity to shine. One of these is talent booking – I would argue that all of my years of talent relations within writing and securing interviews is 100% talent booking. I am suited to be talent booker for a series, talk show, awards program, web platform or an organization that is seeking talent as part of their marketing plan. The second area I felt I could be a secret weapon in is music supervision. I worked briefly for a music supervisor at MTV and I have had some stints working for music licensing companies, which pitch music to the supervision decision-makers. I have the creative ability to pair music with compelling visual content and the hunger seems to still be there. The third area that I have mostly stopped pursuing that I always thought I would be an asset to is as a copywriter for an ad agency. I have worked as a consultant and freelancer for some ad agencies, but it always seems the agencies want years of experience or they only hire their interns.

To answer the question more completely, I also have a sales and customer service background, which doesn’t always mix well with the creative side of things. I beg to differ and think it can be incredibly beneficial to have these skills. I think sometimes non-creatives miss out on my creative abilities and creative opportunities do not always care about my business savvy. So much of business is blurred these days, you really cannot have one without the other. I always wondered why these people have to be different people.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think it is very simply to elevate creative people around me, whether that is co-workers, artists or creators. I see myself at times as somewhat of a hype man, so when I believe in a song or album or marketing campaign, I really want to shout about it from the rooftops.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @menoxmusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-menachem-a103474
• Twitter: @menoxmusic

Image Credits
– Michael Bolton photo (by John Ricard)
– Porter Robinson photo (by Lenox Fontaine)
– Janelle Monae photo (by Meredith Truax)
– Bruno Mars photo (by Mykwain Gainey)