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10 Questions with ... Bryan Frasher
June 15, 2009
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NAME:Bryan FrasherTITLE:VP/PromotionLABEL:BNA RecordsBORN:Huntington, WVRAISED:West Virginia
Please outline your career so far:
I started working on the road for Tanya Tucker in 1995 as the tour manager, guitar player, harmony singer and band leader. From 1999 through 2002 I also toured off and on with Lee Roy Parnell. I was mainly his tour manager, but I played guitar in the band as well and sang harmony. From 2002 to 2003 or so I worked with Chely Wright. In 2002 my son was born and I decided I needed a steady paycheck and wanted to get into the business side of things. That is what brought me to Warner Bros in 2003 and a year later to Arista - now to BNA.
Midwest Regional for Warner Bros./Nashville - Sept 2003 to Aug 2004
Midwest Regional for Arista Records - Aug 2004 to July 2006
National for Arista - July 2006 to April 2008
VP/Promotion BNA Records - April 2008 to present1) You graduated from college with a degree in classical music. Is that the kind of music you grew up listening to? By the way, your bio says Marshall University. Is that the same one from the movie, "We Are Marshall"?
I listened to a large mix of music growing up. My parents had an old record player (the kind that looks like a piece of furniture), and inside I remember Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" album (that had a very cool cover), a "Sassy" Sara Vaughn album and various bluegrass and gospel records. I listened to them all the time. When I was 9 years old I asked my mother for a "rock & roll" album and she bought me a Sly and the Family Stone album for my birthday (if you knew my very West Virginia, country mother you would understand how improbable that is). After that I got into playing guitar and started listening to everything and learning everything I could. If you have ever experienced classical guitar you know why I wanted to study it. It amazes me.
Yes. Go Herd!! I went that Marshall University.
2) Did you move to Nashville with aspirations to be an artist? You came here without a job, correct? What were those days like?
Yes I did - me and every other fourth human that turns in an out of state license. I moved here with no money, no job in a 1972 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (that was badass by the way). I slept on the floor of a friend's apartment behind his couch (in case there was a home invasion - not the best neighborhood). My first job was working at Soundcheck (a rehearsal studio and cartage company). After about two weeks here my car didn't run any more and I was borrowing a friend's motorcycle to get around. It was tough. I worked all the time, played music the rest of the time and never had any money. I was determined and after a year of this I had my first real gig playing (and doing fifteen other jobs, like you do in Country music).
3) So, how does someone with a classical music background end up in the Country world?
The classical training really gave me the facility to do just about any kind of music I wanted to, but Country has always been in my blood. I grew up in rural West Virginia, I lived it and my family and friends still do. It was, and still is, what is most in line with my internal makeup.
4) In your bio it says that you worked with Mike Post- is that the Rockford Files dude, and what did you do during your time with him?
I lived in Los Angeles right out of college. I lived there for five years (it was a great education). At the time I thought I wanted to write and record music for TV and film. Getting the job with Mike Post's Production company was a direct line into that world. I started working for Vector Cartage, which was owned by Mike and another gentleman named John Bidasio (who at one point was a steel player for Dolly Parton). I was the lowest guy on the totem pole, but I learned a great deal and got to play on a couple of TV shows. During that time I was writing a lot and playing a lot of coffee house type gigs. I met Herb Pedersen (of the Desert Rose Band, whose wife Libby also worked for Mike Post), and he gave me great advice. He suggested the move to Nashville.
5) How did you end up being a road manager? You worked with Tanya Tucker and Lee Roy Parnell - that must have been quite an experience.
My friend Chip Matthews (who owns a studio in Nashville now) was working as Tanya's production manager and gave me the job as stage manager for her summer tour in '95. That winter she fired everyone in the band except for her bass player and he gave me the gig of playing acoustic guitar and singing harmony. Three months later he moved on and I was the band-leader. Six months after that the road manager left and since I knew all the ins and outs they gave me that job, too! Every additional job meant more money, and I was all about more money. With Lee Roy I went out as a road manager, but his last road manager had played acoustic on a couple of songs. So on the first gig I did that, but afterwards he asked if I wanted to play full time as well, and I said yes (Lee Roy was one of my absolute favorites so to get to play music with him was a huge honor to me).
I played with a few other acts, but between those two I have enough stories to tell way into old age!
6) That experience as a road manager must be a tremendous help in what you do now. In what ways has all that knowledge helped you in your current position?
I believe that the experienced I gained as a road manager on the road all those years has been and still is invaluable. I believe I can hit just about any pitch thrown at me and not be too anxious about it. There is a sense of worldliness and experience you feel when you have toured that much and dealt with so many adverse and differing situations that very little surprises you. I feel like I can figure my way out of, or into, anything. That's why I find my current position so challenging and exciting - there are problems we face in this industry right now that we haven't seen before. We are living in a time of complete change and we are the ones determining where it's all going to go and how it's all going to get there. It is very exciting to be in this business right now and be able to touch the creative edge. I love pushing the boundaries and the process of discovery.
7) We must say, you win the 'Most Varied Background' award for anyone we've ever done questions for. You even had your own album on your own indie label, is that right?
Yes, that's true, on a budget of absolute zero. It was actually a great experience for me and taught me a lot. It turned out to be very helpful in understanding how hard it is to try to be an artist that actually makes a living. If you want a copy look in any bargain bin or on the Amazon website - I think you can still find it there. Oh yeah, and there are a couple of boxes of cds in my attic.
8) How did you get into promotion?
I was doing quite a bit of work as a guitar player and harmony singer for new acts on radio tours. I did this for about three years. When my son was born I decided I needed to do something more steady and solid. I wanted to work in the music business but didn't know exactly what I would be best cut out for. Everything kept turning me towards promotion. I had been working very closely with a number of promotion teams, most notably Arista. Then a position opened up at Warner Bros. Teddi Bonadies got me an interview. It was the first interview I had ever been on in my life, so I just kind of went in there not knowing what to expect. A week later I was doing the Midwest for WB.
9) Who have some of your mentors been, as you moved up the promotion ladder?
Working for Butch Waugh and Joe Galante is a great experience. I never feel like I am going to work - I feel like I am going to graduate school. I learn something every day. Skip Bishop is a good friend, taught me an incredible amount and always pushed me to do more than I thought I could (he still does) - grace under pressure is a very important learned skill. Bobby Kraig really took me under his wing for a while - he is one of the most subtly dangerous men you'll ever meet. David Haley and Gator Michaels were my introduction to this business and such nice guys to work with - I feel like they gave me a great foundation.
10) Tell us about Project Paper Doll- the charity event that you and your lovely wife Traci put on. How did it start, who does it benefit, etc.?
It was my wife Traci's idea. I am very lucky and glad she does not see well or I would not have her. I am on the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Music Row Subcommittee and had been sharing with Traci the issues the hospital was having, building awareness in the entertainment industry to fact that they are a non-profit hospital, do such great work and are in desperate need of money and space. The next morning she came into the kitchen and the first words out of her mouth were, "I have an idea!" From there it turned into an incredible awareness generator and relationship building project that also manages to raise a little money along the way. The money from the last two years has helped fund the music therapy program at the hospital. It takes a minute to explain all that is involved so here is a link that you can go to for information: http://www.projectpaperdoll.org
We are in the process now of a little overhaul. It will keep going but we are trying to grow and to do that we are taking our time and working very closely with the hospital to make sure they get the most value for our efforts.
It is incredibly fulfilling and fun all at the same time. It never ceases to amaze me at what can be done with a little effort and a fully engaged group of people who care.
Bonus Questions
1) What three songs or albums have made an impact your life (any format), and why?
A) The guitarist John Williams recordings of Bach's Lute Suites and/ or Spanish Guitar - specifically the Prelude from the E major Lute Ste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPfZVflJdp0
And Asturias: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfFbuT3I6A&feature=related
Someone had these two albums on vinyl (I can't remember who or where). I couldn't believe one guy was making all that music on one acoustic instrument. Before hearing those albums I was all about lead guitar in a rock band. Once I heard that I knew I wanted to study music and everything that I have done that has meant anything to me musically can be traced back to that need for a knowledge and understanding of music and how it affects us.
B) Waylon's Greatest Hits (released 1979) - my dad had this 8-track and every time I hear one of these songs it takes me back to driving his pickup home from an away football game, listening to this 8-track and the smell of Camel filter-less cigarettes.
C) Led Zeppelin's Physical Graphitti album: talk about your endless summer.
2) What three people, alive or deceased, would you want to sit down to dinner with and why?
A) Jesus - do I really need to say why?
B) Abraham Lincoln - greatest leader in the worst of times. If you look at those pictures of him the story of the Civil War is written on his face.
C) Joseph Campbell - Read the Power of Myth or watch the Bill Moyers interviews with him and you'll know why.
3) Your '40 Ideas' panel was a big hit at CRS- I feel more organized already. How do you practice all of this in your own life and how has it helped?
In doing the research for that panel I implemented many of the ideas we put forth. This is the first time in my life I have had a completely organized garage and storage at the same time. We completely uncluttered our house and it gave us a great peace of mind. I try to use the email concepts daily. Nobody will ever do all of those things perfectly but it's the constant practice of "trying to be better today than you were yesterday" that makes the difference.
4) Do you ever steal Baldrica's Batman stuff from his office?
Nope. I keep waiting for the day he pulls up in the Bat Mobile. Did you know that when he walks through the halls at work the soundtrack from the original series plays?
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