MUSIC INDUSTRY INNOVATORS PARTNER TO REIMAGINE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF ARTIST MANAGEMENT
JAY ROGOVIN (C3 MANAGEMENT), BLAKE COPPELSON (PROXIMITY), JADE GAINES (C3 MANAGEMENT), ALEC DONKIN (C3 MANAGEMENT)
LAUNCH KOMPASS MUSIC GROUP
KEY COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM DANCESAFE & GOOD NIGHT OUT ENGAGED TO SUPPORT BUILDING A HEALTHIER MUSIC INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM
Maintaining an atmosphere of integrity and progressive workplace practices that apply across an artist management roster and staff alike, Jay Rogovin, Alec Donkin and Jade Gaines, formerly of C3 Management, and Blake Coppelson of Proximity Music have joined forces alongside community service providers from 4 o’clock Consulting (DanceSafe & Good Night Out) to innovate the traditional conception of artist management, coining their new brainchild Kompass Music Group.
Kompass Music Group is a new artist management company with a vision to re-imagine what it means to provide artist management and participate in the cultivation of a healthier music industry. With core values that address current dialogues surrounding sexual violence, risk reduction, mental health, diversity & inclusion, and environmental impact key goals of the project work towards Establishing healthy boundaries and resources to support the mental health of artists and artist managers, setting new industry norms for health & safety through measures such as safety and inclusion initiatives, provide risk reduction education & training, reduce the environmental impact of touring, and to connect patrons with skill-building opportunities.
Boasting a roster brimming with talent across genres, KMG manages top acts of the likes of Vintage Culture (with Entourage and Purple Wall), G Jones, CharlestheFirst, GoldFish, Rousseau and Eprom while supporting the development of the careers of emerging acts such as Of the Trees, Chee, 1788-L, Khiva, Wreckno, Frequent, Chemical Surf and more across the groups 23 artists represented by the company’s 7 managers.
Combining their expertise, Jay Rogovin, Blake Coppelson, Jade Gaines and Alec Donkin draw from their collective experiences in-partnership to provide a unique and adaptable operational foundation ideal for building upon with innovative practices as both a company and for their artists alike.
Jay Rogovin’s extensive experience in managing all aspects of an artist career from touring, merchandising, branding, and team structuring see him take his career from 8 years at the industry leading C3 Management to pioneering a new type of boutique management company. His endeavors in developing Kompass Music Group see a refreshing take on traditional tactics, supported by a strong team of industry professionals and community Service Providers to aid in exacting his vision of a progressive, inclusive and standard-setting organization in the music industry.
“I’ve been working my entire professional career to have the opportunity to launch a company that is both independent and 100% on our own terms. Not only am I proud to say we’ve accomplished that with the launch of Kompass Music Group, but I’m humbled and inspired by the passion and dedication my partners and team have in our collective vision. We are and will continue to be unapologetically bold in our efforts to create a progressive, inclusive, and standard-setting organization that always puts people and artistry before profits. This industry needs a bit of a shake-up and I’m confident we’ve assembled the perfect balance of artists and professionals to do just that.”
– Jay Rogovin
Proximity, a leading independent success in electronic music boasting roughly 9M subscribers on YouTube, managing two independent record labels, and debuting the first virtual festival “Digital Mirage” sees their CEO Blake Coppelson enter the Kompass Music Group initiative.
Demonstrating the innovation and community support Blake looks to bring with him to KMG, 2020 saw Proximity provide entertainment by creating the first ever 3 day long online music festival called “Digital Mirage” during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown. During the course of three events the festival raised over 400,000 dollars for people in the music industry affected by COVID-19 as well as supporting the Equal Justice Initiative. Over the course of the livestreams from April 2020 to present – Proximity has helped raise roughly 600,000 dollars for different charities including NIVA, Equal Justice Initiative, Color of Change, Sweet Relief, and Plus1.
“Artist Management was always the next step for Proximity. Jay and his team have created the perfect partnership right from the beginning for the simple reason that we share a set of common values, staying true to the art and the people behind it. I’ve known and worked with Jay for years, and thankfully the pandemic brought him, Jade, Alec, and myself even closer together through our work with Digital Mirage. Considering the radical changes and movement within our industry over the past year, it was truly serendipitous that such a special balance of personalities and expertise was brought together to form Kompass Music Group. I’m incredibly excited to bring my 10+ years of experience to our team / roster the same way we did with our record label.”
– Blake Coppelson
Joining Jay in the conception of Kompass Music Group, fellow C3 managers Alec Donkin and Jade Gaines see their partnership deliver additional value from varying backgrounds that meet in the middle to comprise KMG.
New York based manager and KMG co-founder, Alec Donkin, began his career in management in 2016 as a graphic designer and branding specialist, working closely with the C3 Management New York team. Over the past 5 years, he has helped develop, maintain, and grow the brands of 40+ international touring musicians across genres. He is incredibly excited to be starting this new chapter, and is dedicated to helping KMG achieve its vision of a healthier music industry. “Kompass Music Group has the opportunity to become a leader in music as a place where artistic integrity and human connection are valued above all else”, Alec shares. “I am incredibly proud and excited to be a part of this group of passionate individuals and artists and look forward to continuing my work as a manager and a designer, as well as having the opportunity to work towards some bigger goals for a healthier industry overall.”
With a career in music spanning over a decade, Jade Gaines’ expertise in working within the events, artist relations and marketing sectors of the industry position her as an asset in developing KMG’s marketing strategies and community initiatives. After joining C3 Management in 2018 her relationships with fellow managers Jay and Alec set the stage for her partnership in the KMG initiatives. “I’ve learned a lot over the last decade and have faced and witnessed a lot of adversities working in the music industry”, Jade shares. “ I passionately believe that by implementing new standards of how we conduct business, interact with fans, and build communities, that the art and people who make it & appreciate it will be brought to the forefront for a stronger industry. Our work at KMG is focused on the art and the artists who make it and gives us the opportunity to help build a better institution to house them.”
Additional managers on board with Kompass include David Kissinger, David Giovannini and Emma Windsor, as well as Executive Assistant, Becky Carriel, all of whom also further diversify the company culture by bringing their unique experiences to the table and applying them across their management styles.
Placing emphasis on four focus areas of Building a Healthier Music Industry Ecosystem, the team has called upon key figures in the forward-thinking music community to aid in pioneering the company’s ethos and central initiatives. Knowing that the music industry is its own ecosystem in need of care and attention, KMG is partnering with 4 o’clock Consulting to support its commitment to a people-first approach.
Service Providers from 4’ o’clock Consulting stemming from bonafide organizations in music DanceSafe and Good Night Out have been engaged to support the company’s next-generation mission statement. With amicable resources being allocated to community engagement, social responsibility, workplace health and environmental sustainability efforts, Kristin Karas, COO of DanceSafe and Stacey Forrester, Co-Founder of Good Night Out, Vancouver are providing amicable support in driving the force behind Kompass Music Group’s organizational innovations.
“Working with KMG is a refreshing opportunity to dig deep into the meaning of participation and community within the music industry and grow something new from a place of integrity. Safety is often an after-thought, or add-on to the live music experience, with artists and those behind the scenes typically left out of initiatives until there is a crisis moment. 4 o’clock is thrilled to collaborate with Kompass to build safety, well-being, and community into their culture and operations from the ground up.”
– Kristin Karas & Stacey Forrester
With Kristin Karas and Stacey Forrester’s combined 20 years of experience at the helm of music community safety, 4 o’clock consulting is reimagining what social responsibility looks like in the music industry. By helping organizations identify, affirm, and embody values & mission, 4 o’clock offers stewardship through advising, developing, and implementing programs and services. 4 o’ clock’s specialties include mental health, risk reduction, community engagement, and organizational culture & well-being.
With goals set towards becoming an industry-leading force that embodies progress in many issues that historically affect the music industry, public facing dialogues tackling topics of gender-diversity, mental health stigma, industry burn-out, environmental impact and more will be explored through activities like internal workshops, outreach services, and community engagements.
With wellness being at the focal point of Kompass Music Group, the same ethos that applies to the company is also dedicated to the style in which the careers of their artists are managed. Working tirelessly towards a brighter future in the music industry, the launch of KMG aims to set the standard for internal practices and nurturing a healthier community.
Kompass Music Group
Full Artist Roster
1788-L – Carola – CharlestheFirst – Chee – Chemical Surf – EPROM – Esseks – FISE – Frequent G Jones – GoldFish – Integrate – Khiva – Lab Group – NotLö – Of The Trees – Potions Rousseau – Shades – Supertask – VCTRE – Vintage Culture – Wreckno
For more information on Kompass Music Group, please visit: www.kompassmg.com