Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicol Kuburoglu
Nicol, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My passion for the music industry began when I was very young, where I grew up playing classical piano and slowly started growing a passion for composing and watching live performances. In 2019 I began working for PPL in London, which is a performing rights organisation that collects royalties for recording royalties. It was there that I began to realize that I had a passion for the music business industry. Shortly after, I left the UK to begin my music education at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. During my time at Berklee, I was mentored by an incredible artist manager at Red Light Management, who I worked under for around a year. That really sparked my interest in working with artists, their crew and live shows. I was also interning at a music publishing company called Third Side Music, where I got to work with artists that I now actually book shows for and work at festivals with, such as Sofi Tukker. It was through this internship that I got recommended for my current position in talent buying at C3 Presents.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s been a lot of ups and downs through this journey. As a long-term international resident in the US, being separated from your homeland and family is not the easiest thing. Navigating your immigration journey is also not as simple as you might think. It’s definitely not the simplest path to go down, but worth the struggle in my opinion. To be handed the opportunity of being able to work in a country that is home to some of the greatest musicians and organisations within this industry is incredible. It’s hard to find similar opportunities elsewhere.
Working in the music industry isn’t easy either. It comes with a lot of complexities, long working hours and constant travel. But if you love what you do, it’s honestly so worthwhile. You’re at a constant grind, no matter what area of the industry you work in.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently work in the talent buying division for C3 Presents / Live Nation Entertainment. C3 primarily specializes in event booking and production, specifically for a lot of major festivals across the US. Some examples being Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Gov Ball & ACL. In additional to these festivals, C3 has a casinos department and is also home to Live Nation South concerts booking department.
I specifically fall under the casinos department where I work with other incredible talent buyers in booking and producing shows across the west coast. Some artists/comedians I’ve had the pleasure of working with are The Killers, Diana Ross, Ed Sheeran, Bailey Zimmerman, Tito Double P, Andrew Schulz, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser etc. In addition to booking and producing these shows, I also work with the artist relations department for a bunch of festivals that C3 promotes, including festivals such as Innings, Two Step Inn, Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, ACL and Oceans Calling. Being able to work both jobs is a blessing as a I get to build a show from scratch with talent buying, and I get to assist in executing day of show responsibilities for artists and their teams at these festivals. Doing both positions is what I believe sets me apart in this industry, as I work with almost every agency, crew and artist team possible when it comes to producing these events!
Some of my favourite moments in my career include working the IHG stage at Lollapalooza, where I was in charge of advancing day of show elements and production with incredible artists such as Kesha, Benson Boone, Two Door Cinema Club, Ethel Cain and Hippo Campus. Getting to work so closely with these artists is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
I’m probably most proud of how far the west coast booking team has come in the last 3 years. We’ve gone from working with 4-5 venues, to now booking over 10 venues, along with some upcoming exciting new comedy and music festivals. Being a part of a team that brings so much creativity, energy and influence to the entertainment industry is an incredible feeling and one that I’m very proud of.
I’m also very proud to be a voting member of the CMA Awards (Country Music Awards) and an Associate Member of the Latin Recording Academy (Latin Grammys). Its a huge privilege to have been granted these responsibilities and memberships by these associations. Truly a dream come true!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve been very fortunate in the experiences I’ve been offered and where I’ve landed in this industry. I work with some of the most incredible talent buyers, such as Brian Lipsitz. He really took me under his wing and has taught me so much about event production and booking. He also continues to bring a lot of incredible projects to the team, which potentially include booking some upcoming new festivals across the south and west coast. I’ve been incredibly lucky to land this position at C3 and to specifically work for the departments I work with. However, I do believe that you also have to work hard in placing yourself in a position that can lead to these incredible opportunities. It takes a lot of hustling, networking and hard work to get yourself in these types of positions.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolxkub/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolkuburoglu/
