Meet Briana Harris | Musician & Artist Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Briana Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Briana, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think people automatically assume that a career in music or the arts is inherently risky. And compared to other professions, they might be right. But I actually consider myself to be fairly risk-adverse. I think all entrepreneurs, including myself, are good at taking CALCULATED risks.

I have always known that pursuing a creative career meant making a bet with some level of uncertainty. So if that’s a given, I want to bet on myself: on my own capabilities, my vision, and how I want to build my life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is Harris Artist Management, where I serve multi-disciplinary creatives through full service management and targeted coaching. I have officially been in business for two years (though I have been a working artist myself for more than fifteen).

Quite honestly, there are elements of my business where I feel like I’m in uncharted waters – and that’s both exciting and scary at times. My approach is somewhat unique in that I’m applying a music management model to artists in other disciplines: right now, primarily visual artists. To me this makes total sense, as there is abundant opportunity in the world of visual art, AND artists deserve quality representation that isn’t currently a norm in the industry.

Because there aren’t always existing models of my exact business structure, I have had to do a lot of research and systems development on my own. It is easy to question yourself when it feels like you’re the only person doing something a particular way. But that doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong; in fact, it can mean you’ve found something with incredible untapped potential.

On days where I feel overwhelmed or in the weeds on my business, I remember that my number one priority is to always build strong, lasting relationships with my artists and other connections in the creative industries. That is fostered one communication at a time. The creative work of this industry keeps me inspired and moving forward; I am genuinely thrilled at every new project reveal for my clients.

I want the world to know that I believe deeply in artists and creatives, and I know we deserve spots in every room and at every table. I want to help foster that world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I actually live in Greeley, Colorado – about 1 hour north of Denver. Work takes me all over the Front Range, and I have favorite spots in every city. Here are some of my favorite:

Denver: Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club. I’ve played a lot of gigs here as a saxophonist, and the owners create an incredible environment both for musicians and guests.

Fort Collins: Horsetooth Reservoir. This is a perfect spot just west of town for hiking, picnics, and swimming. My favorite activity is to take a meal to one of the overlooks on the east side of the reservoir at sunset, for spectacular views.

Greeley: The Moxi Theater. This is my hometown venue, and I’m super fond of it. It’s independently run, and presents a wide variety of music and comedy shows. At a capacity around 400 people, it’s a really intimate and personal way to see local live music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have had so much incredible encouragement in my story, but my earliest and most important supporter was my mom, Robyn Gatens. She has always been an incredibly impressive human, with a career path that is totally different than my own. She is a chemical engineer who has worked her way through the ranks at NASA (yes, that NASA) over a 35 year career. She is currently the Director of the International Space Station at NASA headquarters – a job title and level of responsibility that actually blows my mind.

With my mom as a guiding example, I had an example of a working professional woman that basically set no limits on my own capacity for leadership, vision, and growth. I never doubted my own capabilities, because I had seen her do everything first. And besides having an amazing career, my mom has always been so much more: a parent who showed up to every concert, a friend who always lends support, and a community member who is committed to helping others.

Website: harrisartistmanagement.com

Instagram: @harrisartistmanagement

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harris-artist-management/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianaharrismusic

Other: Substack newsletter: https://harrisartistmanagement.substack.com/

Image Credits
Michael Olivier Peary Schroeder Josh Clements