Woman of the arts: Mary Begley, record label exec/painter By Ron Ehmke Mary Begley lives a double life, both parts of which qualify as cool. On the one hand, she’s a visual artist whose work has earned her an extremely competitive New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. On the other, she’s the label manager of Righteous Babe Records, best known for realeasing the work of its founder and CEO, Ani DiFranco, although the roster of artists includes such internationally established acts as Arto Lindsay and Utah Phillips, plus rising stars like Toshi Reagon, Drums & Tuba, and newcomer Anais Mitchell. Asked how long she’s been at the label informally known as “RBR,” Begley replies with a note of mild shock, “Eleven years—Wow! That’s the longest job I’ve ever had.” Given the label’s focus on art over commerce, the two jobs are not as far apart as they might seem to some, although each calls on entirely different aspects of her considerable talent. Describe what you do during a typical day at Righteous Babe. The best thing about the job is that there is no “typical” day, although the days do run in cycles around a release. I oversee the marketing and promotions staff and handle manufacturing and production for releases such as CDs and DVDs. Once we have the final master it takes at least three to four months to release it. I do the scheduling of all the different aspects of the release from artwork development to sales and marketing plans, which also includes digital distribution and web promotion these days. So, are you a record label exec who also paints, or a painter who also manages a record label? I consider myself an artist first and businessperson second. I have a deep-seated need to put food on the table and shoes on my feet (lots of shoes). I decided a long time ago I didn’t want to be a “starving artist.” This way I can do the art I want to do and not kowtow to current trends or subject myself to doing commissions. RBR is a for-profit business, but it’s one devoted to making art. How does the company balance commerce and creativity? Ani and Scot [Fisher, label president] encourage creativity on the job and off the job on an individual level. On much broader terms they put art before commerce. We release artists’ records based on artistic merit and not how much money we can make off them. The artist has complete control of his or her final product: the sound, the look, and, to a certain degree, the marketing. You travel around a bit for the job. Where are some places you’ve been on RBR business? Most people that I meet think I travel with Ani and the band, but I always explain that I travel on business related to releasing records. This usually means music conferences like MIDEM in Cannes, France, as well as conferences in the U.S. which take place in Austin and Orlando. Our distributor had a conference in Cancun last year but we had to shut down early because a hurricane was coming. One of the most exciting trips came when Ani recorded a record in New Orleans with a live studio audience. We invited folks from the music scene down there and a few of us from the office went down to participate. This year we might go down to Memphis for the Folk Alliance conference. What’s the main thing the average Spree reader probably doesn’t understand about the music biz? Artists make a living off of sales of their art. Buy the CD (or the download) and support the music, otherwise they won’t be able to make it. What’s the coolest thing about your job? Working with really great people every day in Buffalo and across the globe. Everyone we work with is cool, smart, and nice. It’s not like that in the whole of the music industry, but we are in a good niche. People respect Ani and her label, and that is conveyed every day to us. What’s the least cool thing about the job? Firing someone. You work really long, hard hours. How do you find the energy to go home and make art of your own? It can get difficult finding the time, but I’m not happy unless I’m doing something. I’m constantly on the go. Do you have a personal favorite among the fifty-two RBR albums you’ve worked on over the last eleven years? My favorite is always the current release! Ani DiFranco, Reprieve. In your local record store now. How many times a year does someone come up to you and say, “I’ve got this demo tape I really want you to hear?” About twice a week or more. Okay, I’ve got this demo tape I really want the world to hear. How do I get my music out to the masses? Practice, touring, and patience. Ron Ehmke, Spree’s associate editor, worked with Mary Begley for several years when he was RBR’s Minister of Communications. Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top