10 Questions with ... Christine Chiappetta

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

While attending Arizona State University, I began working at KKFR (Power 92) in the promotion dept. After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles and became the Radio Editor for VirtuallyAlternative Magazine (part of the Album Network Group). This led me into radio promotion at Mercury Records in 1995, Columbia Records in 1999 and then Island Def Jam Music Group in 2001 where I remained until 2014 as the SVP Promotion, Rock Formats.

1. Congrats on your new gig! What led you to Deckstar Artist Management?

Deckstar has wanted to find the right in-house radio expert for the company for a while. I was connected with Lawrence Vavra, Managing Director at Deckstar and senior partner at YM&U, a few months ago through a recommendation by a manager that I had worked with for over 15 years. I immediately clicked with Lawrence and was very fascinated with his background and history in forming Deckstar with Matt Colon in 2007. I subsequently met with the other top executives and managers and became more and more interested in this newly created position at the company. Everyone involved wanted to make sure it was a consummate fit and it really is.

2. After 20+ years on the label side working with Mercury, Columbia, and Island Records, how does it feel to be on the management side?

It was a very natural progression for me to go into management after so many years on the label side. I was constantly being told by my radio peers, colleagues, even bosses, that I cared so much, "sometimes TOO much" about the artists I was working with, (which sounds almost absurd), and to remember "this is just business." So my innate passion, especially in regards for the artists, would inevitably be met with, "Chia, you really should get into management." And here we are!

3. Give us the 411 on the company.

Deckstar, founded in 2007 by Lawrence Vavra and Matt Colon, now part of the YM&U Group, prides itself on fusing groundbreaking marketing and creative technologies into the quickly emerging new music business model. With a diverse clientele roster spanning the globe that has received countless prestigious awards and accolades in the industry, the Group has nurtured some of the world's leading dance, rock and pop artists, DJs and producers. Based out of several offices in the UK and US, the YM&U Group counts a broad and diverse roster of international clients consisting of leaders in entertainment, film, music, radio, television and sport, including athletes, authors, digital influencers, musicians, producers, TV personalities and voiceover artists.

4. Tell us about your artist roster.

We have a huge and diverse range of artists here: Blink-182, Jane's Addiction, Morrissey, Steve Aoki, Cheat Codes, The Interrupters, James Arthur, Clean Bandit and Years & Years, to name only a few.

5. What may surprise people to learn about the company?

Probably just how diverse we are. Many management groups are sort of known for having a genre they primarily focus on and that's not the case here. Deckstar is just as known for representing the biggest names in the EDM/Dance world as they are in Rock and Pop acts.

6. How would you describe your promotion style?

My promotion style is very consistent with my personality: passionate, strategic, precise and thoroughgoing to the point of exhaustion sometimes. I am a complete perfectionist and quite competitive as well. But, I also care about my radio peeps as much as my artists; I just want everyone to win and have fun at the same time - I feel very fortunate to be doing what I love so much.

7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _______ ?

Actually, nothing really comes to mind. I think the last time I answered that it was Diet Coke and gumballs - neither of which are a thing for me anymore, I'm so boring now. ; )

8. As we head into 2019, give us your pitch to Alternative Radio on what we need to know and what's coming up from Deckstar?

Yes! 2019 is going to be BUSY for me. I'm handling all formats for Deckstar but specifically have some exciting records for ALT. I'll have a new Blink-182 record in the Spring which is following the huge success of the California album of 2016, the second single from breakthrough artists' The Interrupters called "Gave You Everything" which is a smash and has the potential to go even further than "She's Kerosene" (which was Top 5 this year), plus new music from Morrissey, 311, Fever 333 who were just nominated for a Grammy and will be on tour most of 2019, Steve Aoki - who I'm telling you has a song that ALT radio should play (think Chainsmokers x Coldplay and Marshmello x Bastille) - who might just be the hardest working person in the business (I get exhausted just looking at his tour schedule) and also some cool, indie artists who I adore, Elohim and Filous.

9. What is your favorite part of your job?

Favorite part is still doing what I love, which is getting songs played on the radio, but now getting to be a much bigger part of the overall pre-release strategy, whether in the studio or just game planning the next 12 months of their career and using my 23 years' label experience to help guide the campaign from this side. I seriously doubt I will ever hear the phrase, "you care too much about the artist" again while in management.

10. Let's flashback to growing up in Arizona and listening to KUKQ/Phoenix. What stands out the most about the iconic Alternative station?

You know the programming was great when you listen faithfully to a station that is on the AM dial. Sometimes, the frequency would go in and out a bit but I never ever tuned out. Q Fest was also pretty epic lineups: Social Distortion, RCHP, Meat Puppets, Dead Milkmen, Jesus Jones, and Camper Van Beethoven... I mean, c'mon!!

Who were some of your personal favorite new artists in 2018?

Personal favorites for 2018 are Two Feet, Houses, The Interrupters, and Mike Posner.

Tell us about your little girl?

My daughter Juliette is literally the brightest light in my life. She's 4 going on 14 which can be challenging at times but I never get tired of people (teachers, friends, the mailman, strangers even) telling me what a magnetic, kind, loving, social butterfly she is and how my frequent posts on social media literally "make their day." Also, she really put my life in perspective. I was only ever focused on work but once she came into my life, I was forced to balance my time and because of her, I've taken better care of myself than I ever have and I'm grateful for that. She is a master negotiator already and I'm going to take credit for it as my promo skills must be rubbing off. Also, she is a huge animal lover, as am I, and I adore her empathy towards them.

Years ago you told me you could see yourself as a kindergarten teacher or doing something involving animals. You love dogs, tell us about your dogs?

I'm down to only one dog, now; I've lost a few of my senior pets over the past couple years but my adorable, 13 year old, one eyed little ewok-looking Shih Tzu Oscar is still the most spoiled pup in the world and I wouldn't have it any other way.

You also volunteer with animal rescue?

I still volunteer for an animal rescue but have had to cut back on fostering dogs because I have so much on my plate.