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NEW YORK | LOS ANGELES | MIDDLEBURY
About TBArtists: Across all aspects of the music industry today, businesses are seeking to create a direct link to the fans, and it is through the live performance that this direct link is established and maintained. For more than 50 years, the industry leaders have had it backwards. They had control over the production, distribution and dissemination (radio and TV) of music, and used this control to dictate tastes and sell records, essentially creating markets for their products. This has all changed in recent history. Call it a revolution, a return to the past if you will, but the equation has flipped. Now the focus is on creating a fan base, then selling (or giving away) the music. Touring is the key once more. Although more people have more music and more ways to listen than ever before, music sales are down and ticket and merchandise sales represent the lion’s share of most successful artists’ revenues. Even major labels have conceded this reality and now insist on “360 deals” to stay in business. The money is in the touring… TBArtists has been aware of this reality since it opened its doors in 1995. At that time, the focus on grass roots career development was a way to carve out a niche for the company as a development agency. Artist development was (and still is) something most huge major agencies would rather not deal with. With a history of finding emerging talent and a philosophy that respects promoters as partners in the success of the agency and its clients, TBA quickly established itself as one of only a handful of entertainment agencies committed to-- and effective at—developing sustainable artistic careers. The aforementioned changes in the music business have made this grass roots approach even more appropriate for established artists seeking to reinvigorate their careers. Artist development doesn’t stop when milestones of success are reached, especially in the dynamic and volatile music industry climate of today. The personalized, artist specific, hands on attention and focus on the fan base that made TBA successful in artist development is exactly what larger artists need to adapt to the times and redefine or refine their careers. TBA is built for the new paradigm. With a focus on touring and a deep understanding of the new media approaches to marketing, promotions, distribution and fan management, TBA’s founder, agents, staff and partners have extensive experience, relationships and proven track records of success in all aspects of the music industry. TBA represents artists with the same passion and integrity with which they create their unique art, and has the tools and resources needed to advise and guide artists at all phases of their development, providing the fundamental live component they need to operate their own successful entertainment businesses. _______________________________________________ |
Tom Baggott, the owner of TBA, is passionate about his job. As an agent and artist manager with over 21 years of experience in the music business, he has developed a number of significant national artists of various styles and genres and participated in the expansive career growth of many others. Having worked with many major national artists, managers, publicists, radio promoters, agencies, distributors and other various music industry professionals, Baggott has amassed a wealth of experience and relationships at many levels and in many different aspects of the industry and is widely regarded as one of the best artist development minds in the business. He also has a reputation for honesty, fairness and unflinching loyalty. Having begun his journey in college as a performer and writer, Baggott has always started from the artist’s perspective when approaching the business. Experience has taught him that a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to getting things done is the only approach. As the principal and founder of TBA, Tom Baggott’s philosophy and work ethic set the tone for the company: “If you represent artists with the same passion and integrity with which they represent themselves through their music, you will be an instrument for their success.” “It's not rocket science. It's about the relationships... on all sides of the equation. Deals change, but mutually respectful relationships with artists and promoters will sustain an agency. Honesty and loyalty are not just virtues, they are great business practices.” “Sound, grass roots career development requires both the strategic wisdom that comes from experience, and the creativity that comes from loving what we do and truly knowing and understanding our artists and their audiences.” “Hype is for people who are hiding something or who have little to say that is really worth hearing.” “Size does matter when it comes to grass roots artist development. Having somebody pay close attention to your growth is better than having a lot of people pay little attention at all.” You can read an old 1992 Celebrity Access profile of Tom Baggott by following this link: http://www.celebrityaccess.com/news/profile.html?id=142 _______________________________________________ |
Chris Cate started working with TBA founder Tom Baggott in 1998. He quickly demonstrated great ability as an agent and became a partner in thebookingagency.com (the predecessor to TBA) in 1999. Chris and Tom proved to be a dynamic duo and had a significant impact on the burgeoning "jam band" scene of that time, discovering and developing some of the scene's hottest early adapters and essentially creating a live electronica / jam hybrid sound through their work with Disco Biscuits and Sound Tribe Sector 9. In 2001, Chris went off on his own and formed Treeline Artists, an agency focused on artist development like thebookingagency.com, and was instrumental in starting the career of Railroad Earth, Garaj Mahal and Bluestring and pushed along the careers of Jerry Joseph, Col. Bruce Hampton and The Breakfast. When Chris closed the doors of Treeline in 2004 he opted for steeper terrain and spent nearly 2 years climbing the West Coast's 14,000 foot peaks then-- back to earth-- he landed a job as the Operations Manager at William Morris Agency where he stayed until the May, 2009 "merger" (hostile takeover) with Endeavor. Chris and Tom had stayed close over the years and when this opportunity arose to combine their strengths again they both jumped at it. |
