5 Easy Ways to Jump-Start Your Motivation

Working as a creative professional has a ton of rewards. Some days, your innate desire to “git er done” is through the roof, but on other days, it can be nearly impossible to find. (We know the feeling!) Step One is to acknowledge the fact that motivation, like inspiration, is fickle and fleeting. It comes and it goes. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to cheat the system and kickstart your productivity, even on your most sluggish of days. That’s Step Two:

1. UNPLUG

If your work requires a computer, you might not be able to disconnect completely, but eliminating some of distractions of 21st century life will save you significant amounts of time. If you can bear it, turn off your cell phone or leave it in another room for one or two-hour increments. Turn off non-essential push notifications and alerts for apps on all of your devices. You can even download apps that block social media for certain periods of time! Bottom line: save your energy for more important things.

2. BUDDY UP

Accountability works, plain and simple! Find someone in your life who can be your work buddy. Share your intentions for each work session with each other and be sure to check in on your progress throughout. Ask a pal to text you every hour to keep you on track. Investigate coworking spaces in your area. Immerse yourself in an environment where productivity is prioritized; monkey see, monkey do!

3. TIME BLOCKS

If you get overwhelmed just thinking about all that you need to get done in a single day, try zooming in a bit and breaking down your work into blocks of time. Sort your highest priority tasks into the number of categories that’s right for you, and project the amount of time it might take for you to accomplish the work in each category. You can also try dividing every hour into three work blocks and tackling your task list based on what can be accomplished in a twenty-minute increment. One step at a time; slow and steady wins the race.

4. REWARD SYSTEM

What is your incentive for getting things done? Of course, all of your work should be in service of your overall mission (as an artist, as an individual, as a brand), but if you are lacking in motivation, build in a reward at the end of the task that’s overwhelming you. This could be a cappuccino at the coffee shop down the block or tickets to a show, but however you “treat yo self,” be sure you’ve truly earned it. 

5. GET INSPIRED

When your well of inspiration has run dry, turn to the people, places, and things that have inspired you in the past. See a play. Go to a concert. Get some fresh air. Read the newest book from your favorite author. Turn on a podcast. If you can surround yourself with art and culture and humanity that encourage you to be better, you’ll tap into reserves of motivation you didn’t know you had.

Not sure where to begin? Schedule a call.

The Music of Open Sky Artists

Depending on where you are in the world, the weather may be warmer than is typical for wintertime, but that’s no reason you can’t embrace the coziness of the season with some music from our clients that’s sure to warm your soul right up.

We are incredibly proud to serve these artists. Get to know a bit about them as you listen and watch below. And keep in mind: if you’ve got an event coming up, these musicians know how make it one for the ages. Don’t hesitate to inquire about booking.

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The Ladybugs

The Ladybugs play a unique blend of genres they call “dreamy Latin cowgirl jazz” with a repertoire that reflects their home city: culturally diverse, fashionable, and welcoming to all people. They combine their reverence for the Great American Songbook with the music of their Cuban, Colombian, and Brazilian heritage to create a uniquely New York sound. 

fake tapes

Inspired by neo-soul greats like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu — and informed by their background in Brooklyn’s jazz scene — fake tapes is all about the pleasure principle. They exist at the intersection of jazz, R&B, and funk, but above all, they share soulful music in a fun and creative way.

The Vipers

The Vipers are an early jazz, swing, and blues band — featuring acoustic guitar, upright bass, trumpet, saxophone, and homemade washboard percussion. Their repertoire of witty songs from the 1920s and 30s, classic blues, R&B, and western swing is augmented by original tunes with moving (yet often bawdy) lyrics and catchy four-part vocal harmony.

Four-Ever Yours String Quartet 

Based in New York City, Four-Ever Yours String Quartet is an enchanting, elegant group of string musicians known for their lush renditions of classical and popular favorites.

Alex Levin Trio

The Alex Levin Trio prides itself on being one of the best jazz bands in New York City. They have celebrated the Great American Songbook with performances at Top of the Rock, Top of the Standard, The W Hotel, Chelsea Piers, and Smalls Jazz Club in the West Village, to name a few. Simply put, the Alex Levin Trio sets the gold standard for jazz piano and swing in New York.

Chika and the Starry Night

Fronted by Chika Tanaka and her husband Tatsuya Sakurai, this ensemble’s swinging style is informed by their love of jazz — as well as their devotion to one another. Their soulful, elegant sound may leave you a bit starry-eyed.

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Want to bring music to your event? Get the conversation going by submitting an inquiry.

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Clipper Erickson

With training from Juilliard and Yale, Clipper Erickson has earned many prizes and widespread critical acclaim in his career as a pianist. He has played at Moscow Conservatory, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall, and his performances demonstrate a commitment to underrepresented composers, past and present.

Street of Dreams Jazz Band

Street of Dreams Jazz Band is a vintage jazz and swing group with a lush, romantic sound. The New York City-based ensemble features gorgeous arrangements of timeless jazz standards from the Great American Songbook — and an era when swing was king.

Love, Charley

Love, Charley is inspired by a bygone era of flappers and speakeasies. This New York City-based hot jazz and swing band features the transcendent vocals of Martina DaSilva, whose timeless sound sparkles like champagne.

The B# Trio

The B# Trio will get your fingers snapping and toes tapping. Featuring jazz favorite Ryo Sasaki and his superb trumpet playing skills, The B# Trio is a sharp, wonderfully uplifting ensemble that will transport you to the heyday of jazz.

Evergreen Jazz Band

The Evergreen Jazz Band embodies the essence of vintage jazz — especially in the style of Billie Holiday. They bring a swinging sense of be-bop to the American Songbook, and their creative arrangements always illuminate something new in the classic standards we all love.

Sarah King and the Smoke Rings

Sarah King and the Smoke Rings evoke the elegance and charm of the swing era, playing music from the 30s and 40s with wit and style. An extraordinarily elegant band with regular performances at The Standard Hotel in New York City, they deliver unforgettable sophistication and style — and go great with a fizzy cocktail!

The Lovesome 

The Lovesome performs effervescent, danceable jazz and vintage R&B from the 40s through 70s. Anchored by the rich vocals of Kelsey Jillette, the group celebrates songs made famous by Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Etta James, and many more.

Want to bring music to your event? Get the conversation going by submitting an inquiry.

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10 Things All Freelancers Should Be Doing

The life of a freelancer can be unpredictable — and let’s be honest: that’s why we love it! — but  sometimes that can lead to overwhelm, disorganization, and chaos. To combat those feelings, we suggest implementing systems into your life and work that incentivize consistency, reduce stress, and eliminate the obstacles that stand in the way of getting things done. We’ve compiled a list of ten practices that will position you for greater success in your life as a creative professional. Stay savvy!

1. Keep your digital presence up to snuff: Most of your fans, potential clients, and community will first engage with you online, so it’s important that you treat your online presence as a living thing. Websites and social media profiles require long-term care and maintenance — and the same goes for any place that you exist on the internet! Stay up to date, Ponyboy.

2. Stay on top of your budget: Even if it’s as simple as a spreadsheet in Numbers or Excel, tracking your income and expenses in real time will give you a clear and consistent picture of how much work you have or need — and it’ll make tax time a breeze! Bottom line: you’ve got to keep an eye on your bottom line.

3. Learn how to overcome rejection: We know it’s kind of a bummer to talk about, but the more you can get comfortable with rejection as an undeniable presence in your life as an artist, the quicker you’ll be able to move through those feelings. Remember: for any opportunity you don’t get, there are 100 reasons as to why. The odds would say it isn’t personal. 

4. Always have a contract: It’s always best when everyone’s looking at the same map. Cover your bases and hold all parties accountable by outlining the nature of your work, performance, or relationship in written form. Include the scope of work, costs, and timeline. Google is chock full of sample contracts and agreements if you need a template to get you started!

5. Know your competition: Your goal is to be so singular in who you are, what you do, and what you offer that you stand apart from all of your competition. In the arts, of course, there is a lot of competition. If you can articulate what makes you the expert in your niche and communicate that wherever your brand  lives, folks will take notice.

6. Use the right tools: Do the things you use everyday actually serve you? Think of the supplies, equipment, and software you use to conduct the business of your art as items in your toolbox. Everyone’s needs are different, but if you hone your collection over time (trial and error), you’ll have a mastery of each tool and greater efficiency in your overall operation.

7. Save and back up your work: In the cloud. On an external hard drive. Whatever your preference, do it often. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way!

8. Stay in the know: Just like your digital presence, your base industry knowledge should be approached (and cared for) like a living, evolving thing. Read books and trade publications, download podcasts that speak to your field, and attend workshops and classes. Staying viable and relevant relies on an ongoing understanding of the landscape in which you operate.

9. Balance work and life: Easier said than done, but boundaries help! Boundaries may take the form of a regular schedule, but if that doesn’t work for you and your business, at least try unplugging for a few hours each day. We think you’ll be surprised about what that can do for your mental acuity.

10. Keep the hustle alive: Some days bring three new opportunities and several hours of deep productivity. On other days, responding to a few emails is an accomplishment. Take pride in your forward momentum and forgive yourself for any setbacks. Do what you can to stay engaged, inspired, and hungry. Don’t get comfortable. Get after it.

Still feeling overwhelmed? Need a hand? Schedule a call.

The Power of the Weekly Reset

With each new year comes a major cultural conversation about resolutions, intentions, determinations, and goals. Whatever you want to call them, these are the specific measures of success that we identify for ourselves, usually for betterment in some area of our lives. And while nothing can rival the clean slate feeling of January 1, there’s no reason we can’t reset, reorient, and revisit our goals on a more frequent basis.

We’ve taken deep dives into how to improve your goals by making them SMARTER, but with resolutions fresh and hopefully still intact, this refresher may help you double down on your commitment to them:

• Specific: Be as precise as possible with your goals. If your to-do list says “get your life together,” the overwhelm will set in before you even have a sense of how to achieve that. A better approach is to break down what that means; you’re probably a bit more likely to “do the laundry, clean the apartment, and take out the trash.”

• Measurable: Measurability is one piece of specificity. How will you determine success? Sleeping eight hours every night? Then you should track that. If you're hoping to grow brand awareness or an audience base, then measure website visits, downloads, open rates.

• Achievable: Are you set up to make your goal happen? Is it doable in your timeline? This is the time for a reality check: do you have the resources to get it done? If not, how can you evolve, scale back, and refocus on what’s doable and essential.

• Relevant: Why does this goal matter to you, your team, or your overall mission? If you don’t have a good answer to the question, you may want to reassess.

• Time-Specific: This is crucial. Tasks without due dates don’t get done. Even if it’s arbitrary at first, giving yourself a deadline increases the likelihood that the thing (whatever it is) gets done.

• Exciting: Make sure your goals excite you. If it doesn’t spark joy, perhaps it isn’t a worthwhile goal in the first place.

• Revisable: Once you’ve evaluated how close you came to achieving your measurable goals, you can revise the approach for next time. This step is crucial for growth.

Open a spreadsheet app or a blank notebook. Create a column for each component of the SMARTER goals, and then list out your resolutions or intentions by row. By forcing yourself to be as specific, measurable, and time-specific as possible, you’re not only interrogating the actual merit of each goal, but you’re increasing your likelihood of success.

Now let’s zoom in on that last one: revisable. You can revise your goals on a recurring basis and at whatever frequency makes sense to you, but we definitely recommend doing it more than once a year.

What would happen if you implemented a system for your life the same way businesses and organizations implement systems and strategies to meet their goals and measure their success?

What would happen if you created, implemented, and committed to a weekly, monthly, or quarterly reset — or even more impressive, a combination of them all?

The weekly reset, for instance, allows you to batch process all of the odds and ends of being a human; let’s call it “life administration.” We know that routine reduces stress, so create and implement a weekly ritual that allows you to move through the chaos of life from a grounded and organized place. Doing this has completely maximized the productivity of many of the freelancers in our lives!

Of course, the exact nature of your weekly reset task list will vary based on who you are and what you do, but here are some ideas to get you going. If this list overwhelms you, just pick two or three to start. Once it becomes a routine, it won’t feel so daunting. In fact, it’ll be a breeze.

1. Task Management: Prioritize your to-do list for the week ahead. Break down each task step by step so there’s nothing in the way of you getting it done.

2. Inbox Management: Read and process your emails. Put events on your calendar and tasks into your task manager (even if that’s just a pad of paper).

3. Other Correspondence: If you aren’t meticulous about logging tasks as they pop up in Slack channels, text messages, and the other spaces you chat, make sure you’re revisiting these threads on a weekly basis and putting the actionable items somewhere useful.

4. “Saved” Items: If you’re like us, you might save items on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) or articles (via Pocket or your browser bookmarks) — often for entertainment or for personal and professional growth. Don’t let these links build up. You probably saved them for a reason, so either digest the content and put the takeaways somewhere useful, or reassess whether it’s worth your time.

5. Calendar Management: Take a look at the week ahead. Follow up on tentative plans. Grab tickets to that performance. Remove whatever may be irrelevant.

6. Budget: Balance the checkbook. Pay the bills. Put on a playlist, pour yourself a coffee or tea, and knock it out!

7. File Management: Make sure your digital (and physical) files are organized in a way that makes future referral a breeze. Clean out your Downloads folder, clear the clutter from your Desktop, and put what you need to keep into its appropriate folder. Same goes for Google Drive and Dropbox.

8. Phone: Clean your phone. Sure, the actual device, but what’s in it, too! Follow up on texts, voicemails, voice memos, and notes. Import or upload photos you want to keep. Delete the ones you don’t.

9. Goals: Check in. Hold yourself accountable. Track your progress. If you took a few steps backwards, don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s always next week.

What would happen if you gave this weekly reset a shot? How much more could you get done? How much better might you feel? Bottom line: digital organization, ritualized in this way, will make you more efficient and less stressed.

Most important: You can’t do this all at once or all by yourself.  Pick two or three from this list and start there. As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

If you need some help getting started, or if you are stuck along the way, schedule a call.

Come to the R.I.V.E.R.

Did you know that we host events, live performances, and artist retreats? Well, now you do!

We partner with socially conscious organizations to present live, community-minded performances, innovative cultural experiences, and working retreats for artists.

R.I.V.E.R. stands for Rhapsody-in-View Events and Retreats. The series was named after the home of Lori Rosolowsky, our CEO and Founder. A pianist in her own right, Lori, named the property for the Gershwin classic she loves so much.

For larger events, we partner with local venues to provide you with the best space for your needs.

Previous RIVERs include performances of Oscar and Us, a singalong fundraiser to save the home of legendary musical theatre composer Oscar Hamerstein II (Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, etc.) and Miraculous Escapes from Nazi Germany, a musical presentation by and about the family of Lori Rosolowsky, our Founder and CEO. Events have also included collaborations with Raison D'être Dance Project and Robison Realty Group of Bozeman, Montana.

Working retreats have culminated in master classes and performances with multi-instrumentalist and renowned educator Clark Chaffee along with Broadway artists Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown, The Pirate Queen) and our client Justin Guarini (Wicked, In Transit).

Have an event or retreat to plan? Submit an inquiry or schedule a call.

And A Happy New Year

On this, the last day of 2019, we are taking stock of the things that made our year incredible. We are grateful to the artists, institutions, and supporters without whom Open Sky Artists could not exist, and we look forward to another year of making life easier for creative professionals in the performing arts. 

Without further adieu, here are our 2019 highlights, from January to December:

January

Our client Justin Guarini traveled to Bozeman, Montana for his first RIVER at the home-base of our CEO and Founder, Lori Rosolowsky. Justin conducted a series of master classes for young actors and performed in a fundraiser for institutional partner Verge Theater’s production of Fun Home.

February

David Canfield of Fanfare Archive reviewed our client Clipper Erickson’s latest release, Tableau, Tempest & Tango: “A superior recording, worthy to stand alongside the best… Just about the most ferocious-sounding “Baba-Yaga” on recording, and the most resplendent ‘Great Gate’ imaginable. One of the finest pianists of his generation in interesting repertory that shows off his considerable skill and artistry as a consummate musician.”

March

We completely overhauled three websites for our artists and reached out to over five hundred venues and presenting institutions on behalf of our clients.

April

We helped our client Justin Guarini launch a musical theatre coaching business, release his first book, and elevate his digital presence.

May

Alex Levin Music (the collective representing our clients the Alex Levin Trio, The Ladybugs, and others) became a preferred music vendor at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Cairnwood Estate in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, and The Picnic House in Brooklyn, New York’s iconic Prospect Park.

June

We helped our client Justin Guarini launch the Audition Secrets podcast, a series of conversations with theatremakers about the choices and challenges that have shaped their careers. We produced the first fifteen episodes which included interviews with Patti LuPone, Laura Osnes, Laura Bell Bundy, Michael Cerveris, and Sierra Boggess.

July

Our client, instrumentalist and educator Clark Chaffee, brought his award-winning techniques for rhythmic notation and key shapes to Bozeman, Montana for his first RIVER, offering four multi-generational workshops to musicians of all skill levels.

August

Fresh off of two assistant choreography gigs at American Conservatory Theater (ACT) and Stanford University, Open Sky Artists welcomed our first ever choreographer client, Meredith Joelle Charlson.

September

Broadway veteran Jeff McCarthy traveled to Bozeman, Montana for a RIVER at Rhapsody-in-View, the home of our CEO and Founder, Lori Rosolowsky.

October

Our client, pianist Clipper Erickson, realized a career-long dream to perform the works of composer R. Nathaniel Dett on what would have been his 137th birthday. The concert’s form reflected those that Dett used to host — a collaboration of choral voice, solo voice, and piano.

November

We attended The Producer’s Perspective Super Conference in New York City, a theatre-centric weekend of panels and networking that was hosted by Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Ken Davenport. The Open Sky Artists team presented a talk on marketing and made countless meaningful connections.

December

We launched an online newsletter that highlights opportunities for artists and brings a bit of joy to your inbox each week. Sign up for this short-and-sweet weekly email here.

What a year! We can’t wait for the next one.

Client Spotlight: The Ladybugs

“In all of contemporary music, The Ladybugs are easily one of my favorite things. The emerging genre generally known as new hot jazz has no shortage of artists who are talented, imaginative, attractive, and ridiculously young. But even by that standard, The Ladybugs stand out as a vocal duo that is both charming and musically substantial in equal portions.”

— The Wall Street Journal

The Ladybugs play a unique blend of genres they call “dreamy Latin cowgirl jazz” with a repertoire that reflects their home city: culturally diverse, fashionable, and welcoming to all people. They combine their reverence for the Great American Songbook with the music of their Cuban, Colombian, and Brazilian heritage to create a uniquely New York sound.

“The Ladybugs’ refreshing sound and smart interpretations of early jazz tunes come as something of a revelation: light popular music from the early 1900s still has the power to enchant. The talent in this band is enormous and much fiercer than its name implies. With all due respect, no ladybug ever sounded this good.”

— The New York City Jazz Record

Learn more about our awesome clients.

Designs You Probably Need: An A-to-Z Guide

The air is growing cooler, the shops are getting busier, and although the seasonal music started the day after Halloween, the December holidays are officially upon us! At Open Sky Artists, we love any time of year that brings us closer to the people we love and offers us a chance to demonstrate our appreciation to them.

Gift giving is joyful, but the hustle and bustle can be overwhelming (to say the least). If you’re hoping to avoid the mobbed malls and traffic-filled Targets but want to go a step further than a generic gift from Amazon, look no further! We’ve put together an A-to-Z list of designs that you probably need ⁠— all of which we can execute. While the gift of design is both thoughtful and practical for the creatives in your life, it is also the perfect present to give yourself this holiday season! We bet you deserve it.

• Apparel

• Business cards

• Catalogs

• Direct mail

• Email marketing campaigns

• Flyers

• Greeting cards

• Holiday cards

• Infographics

• Jackets

• Key chains

• Logos

• Merchandise

• Newsletters

• Office supplies

• Posters

• Quintessential designs

• Resumes

• Social media

• Trade show displays

• User interfaces

• Vehicle decals

• Websites

• X-cellent designs

• Yard signs

• Zines

Give the gift of Open Sky Artists today.

The 2 Marketing Acronyms You Should Know

There’s a lot to consider when you set out to market yourself (or your brand, event, performance, project, or organization). Today, we’re zooming in on two of them: objective and context. Your marketing objective is the group of goals you set for promotion. The context is the environment in which you’ll be pursuing your goals, and it refers to the set of given circumstances that surround any project happening anywhere.

When identifying objectives, remember to stay S.M.A.R.T:

• Specific: Be as precise as possible with your goals. If your to-do list says “get your life together,” the overwhelm will set in before you even have a sense of how to achieve that. A better approach is to break down what that means; you’re probably a bit more likely to “do the laundry, clean the apartment, and take out the trash.”

• Measurable: Measurability is one piece of specificity. How will you determine success? Do you want butts in seats? Then you should look at click-thru rates on your marketing pieces and ticket sales. If you're hoping to grow brand awareness or an audience base, then measure website visits, downloads, email open rates.

• Achievable: Are you set up to make your goal happen? Is it doable in your timeline? This is the time for a reality check: do you have the resources to get it done? If not, how can you evolve, scale back, and refocus on what’s doable and essential.

• Relevant: Why does this goal matter to you, your team, and your overall mission? If you don’t have a good answer to these questions, you may want to reassess.

• Time-Specific: This is crucial. Tasks without due dates don’t get done. Even if it’s arbitrary at first, giving yourself a deadline increases the likelihood that the thing (whatever it is) gets done.

Want to take your S.M.A.R.T. goals even S.M.A.R.T.E.R.?

• Excite: Make sure your goals excite you, your team, and the folks to whom you’re marketing. Understand what works, but think outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to try something new!

• Revise: Once you’ve evaluated how close you came to achieving your measurable goals, you can revise the approach for next time. This step is crucial for growth.

You’re not telling your story or your project in a vacuum (we hope). So you need to assess the environment, or the context, to see what’s working for you and what’s working against you.

In other words, read the R.O.O.M.

• Risk: These are factors external to your efforts — and beyond your control — that impact your success. Don’t be in denial, plan accordingly!  

• Opportunities: These are external factors that are potential sources of growth for you. These situations or trends can offer favorable circumstances for expansion and improvement. Is there a new play festival in town taking submissions? Maybe there’s a new salon opening in your community, and it might be the perfect place for you to execute a flash mob for your upcoming production of Hair or Hairspray? What new opportunities do you see that you can take advantage of to drive growth?

• Outsourcing: We’ve all got weaknesses. Better to know ‘em than pretend they don’t exist. These are the limited resources or lack of experience that hampers your ability to compete well in your market. Where can you honestly improve, and what can you delegate to others?

• And last, Mastery: You know your strengths -- your positive attributes — the resources, experience and assets that are readily available to you. What do you do well? What are you an expert at? Make sure you’re focusing on that.

Want some help with that marketing project? Schedule a call.

Getting to Know Our CEO

A company and its culture are a product of its people, and today we’re talking with our Founder and CEO Lori Rosolowsky about founding the company, finding inspiration, and the future of Open Sky Artists.

What was the path you took to get to where you are today?

It’s been a winding one. I started studying piano at age 5, but I majored in environmental science in college (minored in classical piano performance). I came of age during the 1970s when pollution, extinction, and overpopulation worries were dominant.  I then earned a PhD in pharmacology (the flip side of toxicology). In the mid 1990s, after working as an environmental consultant in a very family-unfriendly company, I had to shift my work-life balance. By then, we had a toddler, and my husband also had a demanding job. It was scary to leave my career and abandon my income but, it allowed me to reinvent myself as a piano teacher, performer, and primary caregiver to our son. Soon after, I combined my environmental calling with my musical passion and often planned, produced and performed in concerts for environmental causes and progressive candidates. Over the years, I grew my musical skills, becoming a singer-songwriter, jazz pianist and theatre music director. A song I wrote about a fraudulent election landed me in the finals of a national songwriting competition and was used as a theme song for a radio show about election and voter protection. I co-hosted that show for 3 years (2006-2009). When we moved to Montana, I left behind an active performing career in which I led a jazz quartet, a vocal trio, music directed and acted in community theatre, and performed solo and with several other organizations.  

Why did you start this business?

For practical and philosophical reasons. After 25 years in Pennsylvania, we moved to Montana in 2016, where I was a “nobody.” I continued to seek gigs in my old state where I had spent years cultivating relationships, but I also needed to refer jobs to colleagues since I didn’t live there anymore.  Open Sky Artists started out by mostly getting bookings for other people, with some ancillary promotional services.  

The philosophical reasons are what make me passionate about the business and have driven me to make Open Sky Artists different from other companies that assist people in the performing arts.  First, we recognize that artists need a champion at every step of the process, not just to get a gig. Second, our non-commission based model allows us to create and implement opportunities for artists beyond one-off performances. Third, I’ve had painful experiences with promoters who shut me and my partners out of the conversation and did not act with integrity. They acted as gatekeepers instead of door openers. That behavior is a deal breaker for me. Anyone with whom we work can trust that we are working in their best interest at all times, with integrity, trust, transparency, excellence, and inclusion. I am immensely proud of our track record with those values and love to share with people how we’ve responded when we’ve been put to the test.

What has been the most challenging part of running Open Sky Artists?

Learning to think like an entrepreneur and investing in coaching that allows me to serve my team and my clients as well as I can. Balancing the value of the work our team and I do with clients’ budgetary constraints and being creative in developing billing models so we can serve our clients. Running Open Sky Artists has taught me so much about myself. It’s given me many opportunities to walk the walk when it comes to my values.  

What has been the most rewarding part of running Open Sky Artists?

I recently opened a fortune cookie that said, “Don’t wait for things to happen. Happen to things.” That’s what we do! We “happen” to the people, ideas and things so they can do what they love!  I’m happy about the bond I have with my team and our clients. Open Sky Artists is a professional extension of how I live my life. I like “happening” to people! 

What do you do when you’re not busy with Open Sky Artists?

I’m addicted to nature and fitness, especially swimming (competitive) and yoga (non-competitive, duh!), with a healthy dose of skiing and biking when possible. I’m super involved in Bozeman, Montana as a volunteer in educational and cultural organizations. I’m blessed with a wonderful husband and two sons, one of whom is still at home. Being a loving wife, mom, and friend who drops everything when someone is in need—that’s my life’s purpose.

Who inspires you?

Climate change activists. Single parents. Caregivers of the elderly. Survivors, refugees, and their champions.

What art inspires you?

I’m as moved by creations from local, unknown artists as those on big stages.  I have some young piano students who compose music with dissonance and rhythm that you’d never find in a beginner piano book; many of the community theatre productions in Bozeman are as impactful as shows I’ve seen on Broadway; art created from materials that would otherwise clog landfills inspires me; so do productions that involve underserved communities.

What do you feel is the biggest strength of Open Sky Artists right now?

I’m going to pick two! First, our team. It’s really hard to find people with the skill sets and mindsets needed to do this work. Our team members are bright, multi-talented, experienced, devoted to outstanding service, and fun. Because their skills complement mine, our clients get robust services delivered with integrity. Second, our clients. I’m thrilled that people with big ideas and bigger hearts are finding us and want us to help them.  

What do you see for the future of Open Sky Artists?

I look forward to continuing to serve our loyal clients who’ve been with us since we started, and all the new people we are connecting with—they have something to say with their art, and it’s a joy to help get their unique voices heard and appreciated.  To me, our future feels boundless, like an open sky.

Any parting thoughts?

One of my mantras is “when things are tolerable, you tolerate them; when they are miserable, you change.” I left a corporate career for which I had trained my whole life because the working environment was miserable and not compatible with family life. That allowed me to pursue music professionally and eventually start Open Sky Artists, which has been such a blessing. Like the fortune cookie says, “Don’t wait for things to happen. Happen to things.”

Learn more about Lori and the rest of our team.