By Madeline Heiskell
Today, Maggie asked me to write a blog post about my semester at Olivia Management. Today, I was in a very Christmas-y mood. Today, I was feeling very focused. So today, I wrote about all of my semester highlights in the form of the age old "'Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem." Please enjoy my dorky attempt at creativity! P.S. I added footnotes if you want more info about my experiences/life at Olivia Management.
'Twas a Week Before Christmas (Break)
‘Twas a week before Christmas (break), when all through the office,
Everyone was working, especially my bosses.
The Grammy’s were coming, and so were the Tours,
We worked so our artist would feel rest and assured.
Now as the semester came to a close,
I dreamt of the good times I loved the most.
Maggie in her Mardi Gra, and Erin’s champagne,
And Hush Kids and Matthew’s Pledge Campaigns. (There’s still time to pledge!)[1]
When out at the studio, the fans all arrived
To hear Matthew sing, and have their souls revived.[2]
Away to Barista, I flew like a flash
Needing some coffee, please, no decaf![3]
Hush Kids music, as beautiful as snow,
the amazing Jill and Peter, the greatest combo,
When what to my wondering ears should appear,
A new single from Jill, and I shed a tear.[4]
With two amazing bosses, so awesome and strong,
I knew in a moment, this was where I belonged.
More rapid than eagles, their ideas they came,
And they helped, and encouraged, and taught me the game.
“@maggie, @hannah, @erin, @mads
Artist Growth is missing info, who can help add?”[5]
To the tab with Asana![6] To the tab with Slack[7]!
Now back to Asana and check off that task!
As The Secret Sisters sing, their melodies fly,
When they meet audience ears, there’s not a dry eye.
So in the Ryman, their voices, they flew,
I am blessed to say, I was there too![8]
And then in a twinkling, I awoke to great news,
The Secret Sisters nominated for a Grammy, I didn’t hit snooze![9]
As Erin walked in, I was so proud to have learned,
Excellence from a woman who got what she earned.[10]
The office was my favorite, from its aesthetic to its poise
And always lying around, fidget spinner toys.[11]
On the wall, a calendar, so many shows ahead,
And Fridays I loved, because my office was my bed.[12]
The Emails---they are drafted! And Scheduled, how great!
Emails and my relationship is one of love and hate.[13]
The Canva[14] graphics are done, all tied up with a bow,
Now time to prepare for this weekend’s shows!
The wifi is out again, we gritted our teeth,
So we worked from a coffee shop, right down the street![15]
One of the perks of managing artists,
It can be done from anywhere, if you work your hardest.
It was spectacular and lovely, and just truly the best
Attending Razor and Tie’s Show During Americana Fest.[16]
It was a pleasure to meet Jill, and Peter as well,
Soon they would be Hush Kids, with music so swell!
So now at the end of a semester of work,
I share with you all my thoughts and perks
Working in an office, with so much support,
I didn’t even mind all of my Uber transport.[17]
I loved this internship, so much happiness it brings,
And because of that, I’ll be back in the Spring!
So from the intern, writing all this by candlelight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!
[1] To pledge to Hush Kids, Follow this link: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/mpj
To pledge to Matthew Perryman Jones, Pledge to this link: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/mpj
[2] In November, Matthew Perryman Jones held a private concert for his biggest fans at the AMAZING studio he recorded at. I got to attend and hear him play some awesome new tunes as well as some old ones. It was definitely a highlight to see him play in such an intimate setting.
[3] Barista Parlor is a coffee shop right below our office in East Nashville. Some mornings, I’d splurge on a specialty latte, because, why not?
[4] Jill’s new single “Safe” will be released in the next few weeks. You can read this article to learn more about this beautiful new tune: https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/jill-andrews-safe
[5] One of the most important tasks at Olivia Management is making sure that information gets from our emails and into Artist Growth, which is what the artists use to see all of the details about their schedule and upcoming shows. Fun fact: The Artist Growth people are in the offices right next door to us!
[6] This is the site that we use to assign and check our tasks. Its basically the office to do list.
[7] Slack is our communication center. We chat on different channels on Slack depending on the topic. It makes it really easy to keep all information separated and organized.
[8] Seeing The Secret Sisters at the Ryman was breathtaking. Their music is so hauntingly beautiful, and that venue compliments their sound so well.
[9] The Secret Sisters are nominated in the “Best Folk Album” category for the Grammy’s!
[10] Olivia Managements Motto is, “Olivia Management is an artist management and consulting company that strives to maximize artists’ profits, grow artists’ brands, and foster joy through music and entertainment. We are committed to excellence, honesty, integrity, and genuine connection.” Excellence is always on our minds.
[11] Maggie LOVES fidget spinners
[12] We work from home on Fridays. And it’s is so cool.
[13] Drafting emails to remind fans of shows is tedious work. But so satisfying once you get them all drafted and ready to send out!
[14] Canva is the website we use to create graphics. Its an awesome tool. Creating graphics is one of my favorite things to do. It creative and serves a purpose.
[15] This happened a few times during the semester, but sometimes, its nice to get a change of scenery.
[16] This was the first time I went to a show for one of our artists back at the beginning of my internship and I was blown away. Jill and Peter gave such a spectacular performance.
[17] I don’t have a car, so I Uber to and from internship every day. I have a love hate relationship with Uber as well.