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Charese Fruge (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Patrice Cokley
August 30, 2022
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The list of roles and responsibilities for Patrice Cokley in the music industry is long. Not only is she the Director of Community Growth for H.O.M.E. (Helping Our Music Evolve) where she oversees all marketing strategies for their programming and online community of music creators and professionals, but she is also co-owner/consultant at Silent Noise Consulting, and she’ll be returning to the classroom in January 2023 at Baldwin Wallace University where she’ll teach Music Industry Marketing.
Nine years ago Cokley started her first business, The Bassline Group, a talent development and management agency that offered label services and publishing administration. Her work under that brand led her to her most notable client, Mathew Knowles (Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Solange), and launched her career in academia as a professor at SAE Institute Chicago where she taught for 3 years within their Music Business program.
Cokley, a Black woman and a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the music industry, considers herself a marketing consultant, music business advisor, educator, and entrepreneur. “My profession is marketing, but my passion is music,” she says. “I've been a lover of music since I was a toddler. I studied the piano during my adolescent years, and originally majored in music during undergrad back home in Detroit. I wasn't too fond of Ear Training and Music Theory classes so I chose to switch my major to Marketing and said that I would apply it to the music industry whenever the time was right.”
“I then obtained my MBA in Marketing, and relocated to Chicago a few years later,” says Cokley. “After working a few jobs that didn't fulfill me, I quit to start my own business. The first year was hard. Luckily, I wasn't alone and had a partner at the time that helped maintain the household, but it was still hard, emotionally. Imposter syndrome was real. However, a year to the day I quit was when things changed drastically for me,” explains Cokley. “I had emailed Mathew Knowles for advice, and he replied by offering me work. That's when I noticed my career was taking off. I ended up working directly with him for 2.5 years. During that time, I started teaching at SAE Institute Chicago, and began managing artists consistently.”
“Working with Mr. Knowles and teaching at the collegiate level were two of the most exciting things I've experienced in my career thus far,” she says. “Some people forget that he literally created the biggest entertainer of our generation. Some of her (Beyonce) best practices we see today originated from his parenting and professional guidance. So, it was cool to work closely with him. It was also extremely validating when he would call me directly to ask ME for my opinion on certain things. And I'm also big on giving back and educating the youth, so being able to start my career as a college educator is a huge accomplishment for me. In 2019, the student body presented me with the Mentor of the Year award that I'm still very proud of today.”
Like most jobs in the music business, Cokley’s job sounds “Glamorous.” But that isn’t always the case. “My biggest challenge is working with artists who aren't coachable, despite what they say,” she says. “Some either lack a work ethic or say they want help but still continue to do their own thing. My rebuttal to that is, ‘if what you were doing was really working, then you wouldn't need my help.’ The best way I found to handle that is to part ways or not take them on as a client. And that's not a bad thing; sometimes people just aren't a good fit and that's perfectly okay. I can be a fan of an artist without working with them.”
As a leader and inspiration on so many levels in the music industry, Patrice has great advice for those looking to dive in. “Be knowledgeable. Be coachable. Understand the business you're in. Understand the game you're playing. Be confident,” she says. “There are a lot of people in this industry that don't know the business, don't care to know the business, and are in it just for the look. Being in the industry appears cool, but it's still work at the end of the day. A lot of people are struggling while poppin' on Instagram and TikTok. Don't be that. Focus on doing good work and you'll pop offline and online.”
The business has changed so much in the last few years as it relates to gender, race, and inclusion, and Cokley says we’re headed in the right direction. “I think the needle has moved because now people are more vocal about DEI initiatives. People are quick to call out injustices in the industry and I'm here for it,” she says. “The more we speak on these things, the more chances we have to evoke change. Everything starts with a conversation, and I'm happy to see them being had.”
As far as the economic impact on the industry due to inflation, Patrice isn’t concerned. “If anything, people will become more resourceful to keep their own costs and overhead low,” she says. That’s why not much keeps her up at night unless she’s working on a big project. “There have been times where I'll solve an issue or have a really dope creative idea that will keep me up unless I jot it down,” she says. “Outside of that, I sleep well. I've always been one to operate with a level of integrity and ethics so that I can sleep well at night.”
In the meantime, Patrice enjoys spending time with her life partner, watching a good movie or TV show, traveling, and live music in her spare time, and she’s looking forward to growing in her role with H.O.M.E. and teaching at BW next spring. “I've done and experienced a lot over the years,” she says. “So, I'm looking forward to slowing down and focusing on giving back and helping the next generation of creators and leaders moving forward.”
Follow Patrice Cokley on IG & Twitter @patricekcokley and check out her website: www.patricekcokley.com
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