Lauren Pattenaude (GHS ’00), knew from the time she was a young adult that she wanted to be involved in a fast-paced, creative career. The music industry fit the bill. Though a musician herself, she never had any interest in performing, but she loved music and was always an avid and discerning listener. She would agree with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones who said, “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.”
After graduation, Pattenaude was a woman on a mission. She chose to attend New York University in New York City, arguably the hub of the music industry worldwide. She began interning at several music management companies as soon as she hit campus freshman year. By the middle of her sophomore year, she was working part-time at Sanctuary Music with Rob Shore, a well-know name in the music world. She worked there for almost two years, first in a part-time paid position and then, by the middle of her junior year, as a full time employee.
She described working and taking classes as a busy time, “I was able to apply what I was doing and what I was learning in both places plus I was able to schedule my classes in the early morning or evening to accommodate my work schedule.”
During Pattenaude’s senior year, Shore asked her to leave Sanctuary with him to help start a new music company, L.L. Business Management. Being part of the start up was a great opportunity. She worked there for over a year after graduation from NYU in 2004 with a degree in Music Business, before heading out to manage an artist, run his record label, art gallery, and arrange and accompany his world-wide tours.
Photo courtesy of Lauren PattenaudeReady for a change, in 2009, she joined Master Mind Artist Management, then moved to Vector Management, when they approached her in 2010. For the next nine years with Vector, she managed a number of artists and bands. In early 2019, she left Vector along with Nick Stern and Hampton Howerton, to merge with Izvor Zivkovic at Split Second music management. She said, “Both Nick and Izvor are well-known in the music industry. They work with a wide array of well-known artists. All of my own artists came with me too, which is flattering.” Pattenaude’s roster consists of Shannon and The Clams, Shannon Shaw as well as The Black Angels and Phosphorescent, who she manages with Nick Stern.
Describing her job at Split Second, Pattenaude said, “Being in music management is a lot like being the captain of multiple ships at the same time.” She explained that each artist or band that she manages has multiple teams such as record labels, publicists, booking agents, touring crews, recording teams, and designers, to name a few.
“As the manager, you are responsible for cultivating, motivating and making sure that each of the teams is cohesively and effectively working to further the artist’s career,” she said. She manages four bands, and because Split Second is a collaborative company; they all work together on the full roster.
Her industry is fast-paced, volatile, and challenging. She commented, “You have to be selfless, well-organized, and knowledgeable about all aspects of the music world, including past and future trends. Competency with numerous, ever-changing tech platforms is required as well.”
For her, the most challenging aspect is juggling competing needs and handling triage when emergencies arise. “When you have maybe
100 people all working on each artist’s team with you at the helm, the demand for your time, input and thoughts can be quite overwhelming,” she said. She believes that her Maine roots have given her a strong work ethic and the ability to meet challenges head-on. A special skill set is needed to succeed, especially for a woman in a male dominated industry. She stated, “It might take a couple extra steps to prove yourself, which can be frustrating, but also rewarding in its own way. On tour, I could haul equipment and pack trucks with the best of the guys, while managing all the other aspects, as well.”
She has some advice for those looking to pursue a career in Music Management, “It takes a lot of dedication, strength, creativity, gumption and selflessness. You’ve got to be able to hustle – and hustling is not easy.”
As for her education in Gorham, Pattenaude said, “Mr. Willett and Mr. Farrington were amazing teachers whose passion for education, acceptance and open-mindedness had a big impact on me that resonates to this day. I consider myself very lucky that I was able to learn from them.” She also learned a lot about working on teams from playing soccer and tennis.
Pattenaude lives in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn with her dog, Bonez, a rescue Shiba Inu, who has what she suspects is a shady past. She can be reached at lauren@splitsecond.com. She is the daughter of Michele and Richard Pattenaude.