10 Questions with ... Scott Siman

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Song plugger, concert promoter, poor songwriter, Vandy grad, Mizzou Law, Nathan Burkan prize winner, trial lawyer, contract negotiator, label exec, manager, publisher, believer in songs and artists, and one of the finest golfers on Music Row having won the Old Natchez CC Championship.

1) Tell us about the current roster at rpm management. What can we expect from rpm management this year?

Big Kenny is out spreading the Musical Medicine Show - this week in Africa. Newcomer Madison Cain has been writing and doing a photoshoot. Her dad, Jonathan, is the amazing writer/keyboardist for Journey. Look for Madison to score a deal in the near future. Also, we are developing two new acts through our publishing division, Scarletta and Katie Rae Davis. Working with new acts is hard but rewarding when it works.

2) You recently signed Big Kenny and Glotown Entertainment to handle their humanitarian efforts. How did this come about and what projects is Big Kenny focusing on currently?

We are bringing a framework to his humanitarian efforts. We just helped bring David Clark to the board of his foundation and his prior work is stunning. Look for Kenny and David to build several major events over the next couple of years and for Kenny to continue to build his roll as the major goodwill ambassador of Country music. I think he will go places - literally and figuratively - that no Country artist has ever gone in terms of charitable works.

3) You signed the Dixie Chicks-which has to be one of your proudest achievements-how did you find them and what made them special back then?

I was working at Sony when my good friend Simon Renshaw brought them to me. I just signed them and then told everyone. I got Blake Chancey to go down and see them in Austin and the rest is history.

4) Your middle name is in honor of Ralph Foster, who was Crossroads TV's President. Tell us why your parents chose to name you after Ralph.

My dad was my mentor and Ralph was my dad's mentor. My dad sold him popsicles as a kid and after WWII (the war not the album) he went to work for Ralph.

5) Previous to rpm management, you were Senior Vice President at Sony Music Nashville. What motivated you to start your own company and were there any surprises?

I really thought I would leave Sony and go run another record company. But I got a call from Kerry O'Neil and Al Hagaman that Tim might be looking for new management and I went in a different career direction. Thank goodness!

6) Your father Si founded the first Country music network TV show "The Ozark Jubilee" and secured recording deals for Country legends Porter Wagoner and Chet Atkins. When you were young did you get to meet legends like Chet and Porter?

I did get to meet both and many of the Jubilee stars who would come by our house. Just think, a town of 60,000 people with a TV show garnering an audience over 20 million a week. I would love to see my dad in the Country Music Hall of Fame someday. They held a CMA Board meeting there one year.

7) Was dad a huge mentor of yours, and what kind of advice has he given you?

Yes, he was a great mentor. I hung out at KWTO radio station in Springfield, MO where he had his office. I would get records from the station and copy them to reel to reel tapes (Wolensak!) and listen all night. I took over concert promotion from him in high school and worked with the legendary Hap Peebles promoting shows at the Shrine Mosque. I found a local writer (Jay Stevens, now Woody P. Snow) who ended up writing a big hit "Rocky" for Dickie Lee and Austin Roberts. He (and my mom) taught me responsibility, perseverance and to cast aside self-doubt. He also helped teach me a great song. I channel my dad all the time!

8) Are there any newer acts in Country music that you think will have the chance to make it big and what do you think is the key to success for upcoming Country artists?

I always say Nashville rewards persistence - so those acts that work hard and hang in there will win given that many folks have talent. Besides our new projects, I like the new records from Jaron & The Long Road To Love and Jerrod Niemann.

9) As President of RPM I'm sure you wear many hats. What is the part of your job that you enjoy the most? Least?

Most enjoyable is creating and implementing a plan and watching it all come together. Least enjoyable is reacting to the day to day chaos that takes away from the former! I try really hard to be even keel and avoid the roller coaster. If I want that, I'll go to the theme park.

10) The music industry has changed immensely from the time you got in until now. Are you still confident that this industry can thrive?

The "industry" will not thrive. It's tired and old. "Music" will thrive but in new and different ways. To kids I say be an entrepreneur. I truly lament that music has become so "background" and less "foreground." People should stop texting and talking on their phones while they drive and crank up the music. Less folks will get hurt and you will feel way better.

1) As an avid golfer, what are some of your favorite courses and tournaments to play?

Golf Club of Tennessee, Spyglass, Riviera, Oakmont, Tennessee Four Ball Championship (David Malloy and I were 1 of 30 teams to qualify this year), Tenn. Mid Am and Tenn. Sr Am.

2) What is the first concert you ever saw?

I saw lots of acts at the fairgrounds in Springfield that my dad promoted, and some amazing local bands that hit it big like the Ozark Mountain Daredevils that my brother in law Randle helped form, but the concert that really hit me was Elton John at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. Kicked off with just Elton and a piano and "Tiny Dancer." Close second was Billy Joel opening for the Beach Boys at Vandy, and honorable mention was Jimmy Buffett at Sarratt on the Vandy campus. Best live experience was with Steve Martin who performed in the basement of the Carmichael Towers at Vandy. After his show he pied pipered all of us across the street to Krystal and utter chaos ensued. Massive amounts of food were ordered and we all looked around and Steve was gone. He wrote about that night in his book!