“Listen to everything that goes on around you and make a mental note of it so that you can learn from things that happen within your earshot.”
Nastia Barkan is a Day-to-Day manager at Friends At Work, based in Los Angeles, California. She is responsible for managing the professional career of Charlie Puth and has previously worked alongside artists such as Swedish House Mafia, One Republic, Sigma & more.
How did your journey into Artist Management begin?
I have loved music ever since I was really young, for as long as I can remember it was always a really important part of my life. After I joined the music industry program at USC I became pretty set on wanting to work in that realm. It was in my first class of the program that I became more familiar with all the different areas and career paths possible in the industry, and though we didn’t explicitly touch much upon management, I saw it as a really overarching job within the industry. I wanted to be a part of everything. I didn’t want to limit myself to working on just one or two sides of the business, I really wanted to be able to be an instrumental part in all aspects of an artist’s career. That was really when I realised that music, or artist management, was what I ultimately wanted to do.
In terms of going about getting into it, I am pretty determined. Generally speaking, when I say I’m going to do something, I’ll go through hell or high water to realise whatever that thing might be. I landed an internship at Patriot Management with a lot of high-profile clients, one of whom was Charlie and started there right at the beginning of 2018. I then spent the summer interning with at Management 16 as they were in a joint venture with Patriot at the time in London. It was during that summer that I got to really develop professionally, as the company was smaller so I was more directly and heavily involved in the artists’ projects, from single releases and reviewing and signing contracts across the roster, to assisting in tour managing from a logistical perspective by advancing shows and travel for Sigma and Steve Lawler. I then went back to the US side of things in the autumn of 2018 and started working more closely on Charlie’s projects, as well as other artists on the roster like Swedish House Mafia and One Republic. I worked the Chris Cornell This Is The Highway tribute show at The Forum, the Backstreet Boys “Chances” music video, and the inaugural edition of Pharrell Williams’ Something In The Water Festival in Virginia Beach. I stayed there up until midway through 2019.
A couple of months after I had left the company, Charlie’s overall manager, Mikaela, reached out having remembered me from when I was an intern. A few weeks later I accepted the job as his day to day, got on a plane to New York to oversee promotion for his single at the time, and haven’t really looked back.
What does a typical day managing Charlie Puth look like?
No two days are ever the same. It really depends on where we are in a cycle and what sort of obligations we have that week. The only aspect that’s really consistent is that it’s busy! The first thing I do when I wake up is check my emails that have come in overnight and get a sense of what needs to be accomplished that day. After that everything starts to look different. Some days I have a lot of calls and emails and some days I’m running photoshoots, video shoots, or show tapings.
Lockdown has also made everything look very different. Where before I would have been focusing more on the artist side of things, I’ve had to put somewhat of a tour manager hat on and organise the band, production for shows, be a camerawoman, a playback person. You name it, these past four months have had me do it all. The inconsistency though is what keeps me on my toes and makes the job so interesting, it’s the total opposite of monotonous. I really thrive in chaotic energy though, and as cliché as it is to say, I find often times the more that needs to get done, the more that actually does get done.
Which part of the management process do you enjoy the most and why?
Seeing what I work on come to fruition and knowing that I’ve done a good job for my artist. When you see people’s reactions to something that you’ve put work into, be it the energy of a crowd at a show, or positive comments on a song, or a campaign, it makes you really proud to be a part of and have such direct involvement in something that reaches and impacts so many people. Particularly when it’s something that Charlie and the team love.
What challenges do you face within your role?
Well, there only being 24 hours in a day is a challenge. In a similar vein, finding time in the day for myself is tough. I try and make myself available all the time in case something happens, so often I find it a struggle to step away and switch off. Even when it’s later on and I’m winding down I find my head running through everything that needs to be done the next day, or later that week, like outstanding things we need to figure out for certain projects. That’s one of the biggest challenges. But I love my job, so having it at the forefront of my mind is something that I’m okay with. Management really isn’t something that you should go into if you want to work a 9-5. You also have to be able to accept that your job isn’t about you. I’ve had moments where I’ve been stressed about the outcome of things, or something looking like it’s about to go wrong, and I’ve learnt to keep composure and make sure that as few people as possible, and especially not my artist, can sense that I might be panicked.
If you’re having a bad day, you have to leave it at the door. That’s not the easiest thing to do as you’re also dealing with a job where your personal life and your work life often overlap in a way that isn’t as prevalent in other careers; working weekends and long hours, being away for weeks or months at a time and being around the same few people during that period. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of fun, but it also takes a toll.
What artist or band are you loving at the moment and would like to work with?
I’ve always been a huge fan of electronic music. If you’d asked me this question a few years ago the answer would have been Avicii, no contest. That being said, my tastes are extremely varied, so pinning down one act specifically to work with is tough. I love Machine Gun Kelly’s latest single, it reminds me of 2004. I also love Lana Del Rey’s music. I am so glad Latin music and reggaeton have been having their moment over the past couple of years. I spent a lot of time in continental Europe as a child, and that was, for the most part, what you would hear a lot of. It’s a long-running joke for people who know me that I’m obsessed with Pitbull. I can’t really explain why I just love his music. I was on my way to a Rolling Stones concert last year and I looked outside the window in the car ride and got audibly excited that I saw him on a billboard…. everyone was extremely confused. It was also entirely unrelated to anything music, I think it was an advert for a conference. Having the opportunity to work alongside him in some aspect would be fun for me. I am very fortunate in that Charlie writes and produces for such a wide variety of artists and that I’ve been able to work, even on a thin level in some cases, with different acts/artists and their teams.
What are you most looking forward to post-lockdown?
Travelling and touring again. Actually being able to resume normal operations. I think everyone has done an amazing job at finding new and inventive ways to keep things moving in quarantine but being able to do an interview where I don’t have to be setting up lighting or cameras because we can’t have a crew there will be good! Beyond our own touring, just being able to go to see live music again. That side of the industry has been totally paralyzed by the pandemic, and its heartbreaking to hear of so many incredibly talented musicians and crew members who not only have had their livelihood taken away, but also can’t do what they love.
For someone wanting to pursue a career in artist management, what advice can you give on a good place to start?
My first music industry professor once told me that getting your foot in the door is the hardest thing to do, having an internship helps in that process, as by the time you finish, your foot is firmly in place. I find giving steps-to-success advice tricky, as my journey into management was pretty accelerated; I never expected to find myself doing this at 23. But the advice I always give everyone who wants to get into the music industry, be it management, agencies, labels, or even becoming an artist, is to get an internship or part-time job in the industry, work hard and try to foster your relationships organically. It’s a small industry and you never know where things can lead if you have people rooting for you, so you should never think you’re above any job when you’re starting out. Listen to everything that goes on around you and make a mental note of it so that you can learn from things that happen within your earshot. I was doing this before I even worked in music, it helped me have a much greater understanding of things whenever I encountered something I hadn’t dealt with before personally but had a reference of how others had handled similar situations that I’d been privy to.
Favourite film score/soundtrack?
Tarzan from 1999. What Phil Collins did on that soundtrack was, and is, incredible. It was my favourite Disney film as a child, so I think there’s some nostalgia there, but it really is a great soundtrack. Disney and Pixar soundtracks are generally amazing, but this one is something special. Someone should put on a viewing of the film with Phil Collins performing the music live at the Hollywood Bowl, if they haven’t already.
What is currently inspiring you?
Since I’ve been working with Charlie, I’ve been so inspired by how passionately he talks about music. It’s another level of intelligence and genius, and it makes me happier in my own job to know that at the root of what you’re doing, the music has been so carefully considered. It makes me love my job that much more. Beyond work, I’ve always loved hiking, particularly at sunset. Going up a trail, or through the Hollywood Hills and looking out at the city as the sun goes down, sitting and taking it in. Seeing how far it reaches, but how it looks small at the same time, knowing how packed full of unique people it is, all with their own stories. For me, there’s nothing like it.
What advice would you give to your younger self
Everything happens for a reason, and if it’s meant to be it will be. For some reason, you’re never going to take the easy road or the normal route, but you’ll get there. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to take time. Keep on persevering and find a way around the obstacles.
People have a way of always telling you what you can’t do, instead of what you can. I had an array of teachers growing up, from ones who thought I would run the world, to ones who flat out told me I would be unemployable. No one is ever universally liked or respected, but focus on the people who believe in you and make them proud, and then you’ll prove everyone else wrong.
What is on your personal and professional bucket list? What do you hope to achieve in the future?
My personal bucket list has always had a lot of travel aspects to it, “visit every state, every country in Europe, every continent”. Professionally, I’m not too sure. Management is interesting because your artists’ success is your successes to an extent and vice versa. Working on something that gets nominated for, and wins, a Grammy is definitely on there. I really don’t think those awards are as important as they once were, but nevertheless, it’s a milestone few reach.
I think I’ll eventually find my way to the electronic side of music, not for a while, but one day. I say that because if I break it down, my love for that genre was what had me wanting to immerse myself in music to begin with.
What’s next for Nastia?
Hopefully arena tours and platinum plaques for the foreseeable future! I want to leave my mark on the music industry, I just haven’t quite sorted how I’m going to do that yet!
