You’re starting a new job in the music industry. How can you make the most of your mentorship experience?

Spot on, Russ. Interesting, I’ve never offered to be someone’s mentor, and I can see how disastrous that could be! For those I have mentored it has been amazing to to see them build and grow their own careers.

If someone says they want to be your mentor, run. That’s all about them. Find someone you trust and already have respect for. Research their background to see what experience and skills they have. You are trusting them with your future. You are allowing them to speak into your life. Take care who you let in. I mentor several people. My role is to be humble, it’s not about me, it’s about seeing their potential and helping them to reach it.

Ensure the Integrity of the mentor… observe, listen, follow basic rules and requests. Pick up on their personal experiences as well as their” tips and tricks “ advice on how to handle various gear, controllers, architecting the installation’s installation and understanding why certain items are clustered nearby vs other devices:

Don't be afraid to start at the top when looking for a mentor. You have to be courageous and bold if you want to get anywhere in this industry. Once you've landed that elite mentor, be honest about the qualities you see in them that need to be developed within yourself. Be humble. Stay respectful and ask loads of questions no matter how trivial they may seem to you. Being inquisitive shows your mentor that you are hungry for the knowledge you are gleaning from them and will ensure that they can trust they are pouring into a vessel that will retain the lessons. Next, check your attitude. Did you come to receive and give or are you there to take? Meaning, are you willing to work hard to show your appreciation for the opportunity.

When looking for the right mentor to enable you to grow professionally and succeed in the music industry there are several things you need to consider. For example, what is the experience and expertise of the mentor you are considering? Do they have an in-depth knowledge of the part of the music industry that you are interested in? What is their own track record of success? Are they in tune with the latest technologies, trends, banks of knowledge along with the strategic approaches to getting on in the music business? Is your proposed mentor someone you will be able have a good rapport? Will understand your aspirations and goals so that can help you succeed with help inspired by their own experiences?

Mentors are like good restaurants, the best ones are extremely busy. Understand that their time will be limited, so don't feel disheartened if meetings aren't as often as you would like. Instead plan well for each meeting so that you maximise your time with them. Ask questions and listen.

Ask yourself what you want to get out of each session. That will determine the kind of conversation you have. Are they practical questions like; "How do I do this?" or are they emotional ones like; "I often feel overwhelmed by this." Knowing what you want to get from a conversation is essential. It will help your mentor too, so they can be as effective as possible, it's no good them telling you how to do something if what you want to hear on that day is reassurance. Planning is essential. Finally, any good mentor will ask you these things on a regular basis; "What do you need from me?"

For me it's about being yourself (that's what got you the job) and being sincere, not manipulative. This means to be real, show your true colors. Also, I think that jobs in this industry must be about helping artists make things happen, reach their true potential and not just a 9 to 5 job you would do for money and being able to pay bills. Also being aware that this job is 24/7 so you have to be ready anytime, you are working to make artist's dreams come true so it's not just about you, you are part of a machine.

Make notes either during or immediately after your time with a mentor. There are two reasons for this; first, they can help you work on the things you are learning and second, they are good to look back at over time so you can see the progress you have made.

I couldn’t agree more. Often I’ll plan on grabbing a bite after the session so we can go over everything that just happened. It’s a good way to put a cap on the day, but also show that one can be civilized and do good work, which was not really the case in my formative days

I have a one word answer: Curiosity. Ask questions. Lots of them. Challenge and ask why. I feel that this sometimes also challenges the mentor and drives them to think, often gaining respect in the person posing the questions. By remaining curious, we never stand still. Hope that’s helpful.