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This week I am beyond elated to be sitting down with someone I have so much respect for in the industry. Today we are featuring Corynne Burrows, one of the bawse industry people of NU Management and an all around incredible human. We talk about being LGBTQ+, mental health, obstacles in the industry and lots of exciting things personally and for her artists! Check out the interview below, give her a follow on socials and let us know who you'd like to see featured next!
First things first, I would love to know who you are and what you do in the industry?
My name is Corynne Burrows and I am the Chief Operations Officer for NU Management. We are a talent management company based in Los Angeles; representing Nitti Gritti, Henry Fong, Kandy, Hidden Face, and Calica.
Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and female, have you found it harder or feel as though you have to work harder to be taken seriously?
This is a difficult question because my answer is both yes and no. In the past, there definitely have been some times where I had to “prove” myself to certain people before they would take me seriously; mostly stage managers while I was on tour with one of the artists. There has been other times where I am in a group conversation and people will direct their question to my male team members, assuming they are the ones with the authority positions, and then my team has to be like “ask her” lol. I think it has more to do with my gender and less to do with my sexuality, but I honestly don’t know the answer. I’ve never asked anyone why, honestly. I don’t deal with it as much anymore either, but in the beginning stages of my career it was pretty common.
Mental health is already such a huge issue within the LGBTQ+ community, especially regarding our black, trans sisters and brothers, combine that with the stress of the music industry what keeps you afloat?
I have a really great support system; my team, our artists, my family and friends, my girlfriend - all of them are incredible. They consistently check up and see how I’m doing, if there’s anything they can do to help, etc. They are my backbone and I would be hard pressed to do this without them.
More and More artists have been coming out and being vocal about mental health and where they're struggling, is there anyone in particular that you've seen be vocal that's inspired you to keep going?
DEMI LOVATO, KENDRICK LAMAR, LADY GAGA, and ADELE have all spoken out on their struggles with mental illness and I found each of their stories relatable and inspiring. These are people who have absolutely dominated the industry and perfected their craft… and knowing that they deal with the same toxic thoughts as I do is motivation to push through the tough moments and keep focused on building something larger than myself.
So, I remember when Loud and Proud kicked off you had started a YouTube channel around that time. What has been the most fun you've had in that creative endeavor?
You know, I never had any intention of starting a YouTube… I have struggled with deep anxiety when being recorded by others or recording myself for as long as I can remember, so being comfortable speaking in front of a camera is something I’ve had to work on consistently, but it has been really fun so far. I get to document all of the traveling and shows, and showcase my friends and the cool stuff they are doing. I’m also learning more about myself from watching all of the clips back during the editing process. I kind of get to see myself the way others do, and that has been a unique and enlightening experience for me. The coolest thing for me is that I have creative control of this project, so I can do whatever I want really. There is no chain of command, with the exception of working out the idea with Megan (my girlfriend and partner on the channel). Having the ability to create is something that is very important to me, and the channel has been a big blessing in that aspect.
What's coming up for you soon? Anything you'd like to plug?
Lots of festivals, club shows, and new music from the team. We have a project we are working on for one of the acts that I’m really excited to release, but can’t talk about quite yet. New merch designs for the artists will begin coming out this fall. We just announced Nitti Gritti’s jersey collab with Electric Family that I’m stoked on. We have a ton of really cool stuff in the pipeline. I’m really excited for all of it to be honest.
Lastly, for all the LGBTQ+ people wanting to be in this industry but are closeted or scared, what is one piece of advice you would like them to hear?
My advice is to focus less on labeling yourself and more on discovering / doing what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. I think the most important thing that I’ve learned through all of this is that it isn’t necessary to pigeon-hole yourself by subscribing to a certain “label”. I’ve had to deal with a few different identity crisis’s due to the fact that I felt I had to define myself in one way or another. The reality is, every person is different and sexuality is fluid. I am not the person I thought I was at 16, or 18, or 21. I am constantly evolving, and so is everyone else. Just work hard, and be a good person. Thank you so much for sitting down with me, this was quite the treat! Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed this interview!
Instagram: @risc_
Twitter: @risc_
Youtube: Corynne & Megan Website: NU Management
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