Today we’d like to introduce you to Bettie McReynolds.
Hi Bettie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started out just managing the bookings that were coming in for my nephew, who had recently been signed to a label deal right out of college. You don’t necessarily get a ton of money as a new artist, but you get the opportunity to record and be promoted. He was getting a lot of calls for appearances and just didn’t have the money for a team so I started as his booking manager. I remember saying “but I don’t know how to do that” and him saying “well figure it out!”…so I did. His career took off very quickly and his live performances were really in demand and people saw how quickly he rose…and assumed I had something to do with it. I really didn’t, he’s just super talented and I was the person that everyone had to go through to book him. New artists, independent artists, etc started reaching out to me to find gigs for them. I did my best but few had the unique combination of songwriting, musicianship and vocal prowess to do what he was doing but it occurred to me that since I like all kinds of music, unique voices and unusual sounds that many of these artists just weren’t pursuing the right opportunities and if they did…others might enjoy their music as much as I did. I started Aspire Booking for “aspiring artists”…ones that hadn’t had the access to either the education, training, financial backing or performance opportunities to advance their careers to the “next level”. I became a champion for those artists, including gospel rappers which is a genre that I really love. We had a good run but then the pandemic hit and lesser known artists really didn’t have any ground to lose. I think a lot of them fell by the wayside during those years and never got the momentum back, had to move on to other ways to pay the bills, or just got discouraged because being a performer with no audience is a super discouraging place to be. One artist I was introduced to by his producer (a really great artist in his own right) had an incredible sound that I just fell in love with. He was usually included in the folk genre (because the industry has to label you…sigh) but for me, I heard a combination of Folk, Jazz, Bossa Nova, Yacht Rock (don’t judge me!) and Soul that was hard to define and therefore kind of hard to book but I believed in the music and we had a great run in 2021-2022 just as we were coming out of the pandemic with him performing at the Square Roots Fest, Rockopelli, Thalia Hall (opening for Steven Marley) and at the Promontory (opening for David Michael Wyatt). All these venues and events were in and around Chicago. He took a break after that and the momentum was lost. I think that happens a lot. The pace picks up, sometimes dramatically, and you can get easily overwhelmed– but that is exactly when you cannot stop. You can’t lose that energy because it’s hard to reclaim it. Audiences move on and it’s hard to get them back. As well, as much as you may want to move on to new music, people want to hear the familiar– to hear the songs that got them hooked on you in the first place. My nephew has won a couple of Grammys by now but people still want to hear this one song that really put him on the map–15 years ago. So he obliges, then moves on to the many others that are just as great. Once the audience hears a new song from a beloved artist they’re going to be all in but sometimes you have to ease them into it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not smooth, but enjoyable. I started producing a lot of my own events in order to get these artists seen and heard. I’ve done numerous artist showcases, a four city tour, and held my first big concert in August of 2022 when I brought David Michael Wyatt to Chicago for his first solo show. I had two openers and they were phenomenal. It was actually one of the best concerts I’ve been to and I produced it myself! I know what I like and I’m pretty confident that others will too because I have great taste in music. There, I said it!
Financing these events has definitely been a struggle. One thing I’ve learned over and over in this business is that people are notorious for not keeping their word. I started the DMW concert off with a partner and we agreed to split the costs/losses. Let’s just say the credit was shared, but not the money. I ended up losing quite a bit because the split loss ended up being mine to bear alone. One thing is for sure–if Aunt B says you’re going to get paid, you’re going to get paid! After that though, I really took a step back and stopped producing shows out of pocket. Even though we sold out the DMW concert, the expenses just couldn’t be covered by the size of the venue/number of tickets available to sell. I did have a Christmas showcase later that year but it was a very low overhead show and I had a wonderful marketing intern who did a great job of getting sponsors which kept the expenses low. My mom passed away about a week after that so I really just stopped, tried to rest and reassess. I’ve done a few showcases since then and a really great community Christmas concert that I produced for a local non profit. I’m anxious to get back at it. KC, where you at?
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While I’m not an artist, I’m a creative person and I can sing a little bit but you definitely wouldn’t pay to hear me. I love being in proximity to live music and music creation. I love event planning. And I love helping people realize their dreams so this unexpected foray into booking, production and management (after 25 years in Early Childhood Education) actually makes sense as I think about it. I specialize in finding gigs for unknown artists and I’m known for giving people a chance, trying to get them paid, even if it’s a nominal amount because I think it shows respect for the work being done, and I’m really proud of being a person of my word in an industry where that’s not always the case. During the pandemic I got together with a friend in the UK and we decided to produce a couple of virtual concerts with artists from both the US and the UK. We got celebrity hosts to tape the artist intros and edited the individual performances into hour long concerts. I also produced a Giving Tuesday virtual concert for a non profit that addresses trauma in women and girls. It felt great to help raise money for such a worthy cause. As far as what sets me apart, I can wear many hats so if we need wardrobe or costume design for a show, I can do that. If we need set design, I can do that. If we need set lists, I can do that. If we need a stage plot, I can do that. If we need someone at the door, an emcee or security, lol….I can do that too. I am a vintage clothing and home goods seller, a gardener, a seamstress and a serial crafter and I try to include my other loves into the events that I produce when appropriate. I’ve had my vintage clothing appear on stage at the San Francisco Playhouse and Madison Street Theatre in Chicago, on Broadway stars for photo shoots, at an Aretha Franklin Tribute in Seattle and I even had a vintage sofa that I sold end up on the pages of Country Living Magazine. Although it was some of the hardest physical work that I’ve ever done, I enjoyed doing the set design for a live concert that was edited into a movie which aired on Tidal. I was able to incorporate some vintage home decor into it, like a 1960’s record stand, albums and lamps. It looked amazing and it was pretty cool seeing my name listed in the credits on the big screen. Come to think of it, maybe I need an IMDB page. I’ve definitely seen pages with one credit before…
Looking ahead I’m really excited about an MLK Day solo show that I’ve booked for one of my artists where I’ll also be doing some set list development and stage design. We have what I think are some really unique takes on his message that will move this concert beyond “We Shall Overcome” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” even though those very relevant songs will probably still be in there somewhere.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Taking risks is essential to success in the music industry. Unfortunately, taking risks is easier for some than for others. An artist/producer/manager with no responsibility but to him or herself can jump off that stage and body surf and not worry about missing work tomorrow. Most independent artists that I know have jobs that they have to hold down to make ends meet and oftentimes, families to support. It makes a huge difference in your ability create if you can just sit and be creative all day or have to find time for creativity in between, before or after you do the stuff you absolutely have to do. I’ve really tried, many times to my financial detriment to stand in that space for artists that I really believe in. It boils down to really having the heart to help people succeed and being willing to do whatever it takes for them to get there. Ideally, they’ll remember you down the road with a couple of tickets, a shout out on social media or a little bit of credit for your role in their success. If not, I still produced an amazing show or introduced some people to their new favorite artist. Trust your gut but don’t forget to stock up on Tums because it can be rough…and unpredictable…and messy. My apologies for any unwanted images that may have conjured up for you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspirebooking
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1981755738684163
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgz2Uye3Og4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmNfCiAez0E
