About Me
“With a dream in our hearts, many times we simply don’t know where to start. We find ourselves wasting money, trusting in the wrong opportunities and often just settling—or worse…giving up. I started Sideman Music Consulting in 2008, to remedy just that—to be a source of wisdom and expertise you can trust. my mission is to empower and inspire music creatives.”—brandon egerton
Brandon Egerton, Owner/President
With a pre-industry background in both instrumental and vocal music, my professional music career began in 1999 with EMI Gospel (now Motown Gospel) Records in Nashville, TN. My first role with the company was in the Radio Promotions department where my primary responsibility was radio tracking, which is in essence, building relationships with DJs, Music Directors and Program Directors and verifying the level of airplay our artists were getting at radio stations throughout the country. You’ve no doubt heard about the proverbial “foot in the door” being needed to get started in the music business. My role in the radio promotions department was just that. Although it wasn’t a position I wanted to be in for the rest of my career, it allowed me to gain some very valuable skills and insight – seeing how the business works, the nuances of artist relations, and understanding the importance of great songs, marketing/promotions, and the keys to relationship building.
After about a year and half, I was promoted to a position in the label’s A&R Department. Here I was involved in the pursuit of new artists and managed/facilitated the creative process of the label’s recording projects. That process involved not only the creative aspects—song choice, production, recording, mixing and mastering—but also the behind the scenes (but equally important) administrative aspects such as: contracts, publishing, licensing, and budget management. During my tenure at EMI, I was involved in the creation & promotion of over 125 albums released by the label—including projects from Grammy, Dove & Stellar award winning/nominated artists: Kierra Sheard, Smokie Norful, Aaron Neville, Darwin Hobbs, CeCe Winans, Myron Butler, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers, T.D. Jakes and many others.
After a nearly 10-year stint with the company, I left in 2008 to pursue my desire to use my expertise and connections to help indie artists—particularly those in the Gospel genre. You see, far too often I had been in a meeting with an artist, writer, or producer who had world-class talent but no clue of how the business works. Now really, what other career can you be successful in long-term and not know the basics. Realizing this, I wanted to be part of the solution. One of those ways was through the artist development entity, Beyond Potential University—which I co-founded with one of my artist/songwriters, award-winner Antonio Neal. The other way is via, Sideman Music Services & Consulting.
In addition to providing consulting services and career coaching to music entrepreneurs around the world, I am also the Education Director of Audio Arts at Full Sail University.