PhD defence R.S.C (Roderick) Udo

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation: 

Music is a universal language that touches the lives of millions, but what goes on behind the scenes in the careers of the artists who create and perform the music we love? In his PhD thesis, Roderick Udo delves into the strategy-making of popular-music artists, revealing the intricate decisions that shape their careers.
Three key themes from the entrepreneurship literature provide a fresh perspective on how artists and their managers strategise to seize opportunities and develop their careers.
Studying popular-music artists is challenging due to the difficulty in defining who exactly qualifies as a popular music artist. To address this, the thesis begins with a review of literature on career-related topics involving music artists, proposing a framework for defining and describing samples of music artists.
The research includes 39 interviews with artists and managers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, who performed at showcase events like Eurosonic and SXSW. The interviews explore what drives decisions around financing key career milestones, such as record releases.
Inspired by the interview outcomes, a survey was conducted among artists who performed at major industry showcase events in Western countries. The author analysed the innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness of musicians and their managers. These elements were related to a measure of success that goes beyond financial revenues or chart notations.
The research reveals that entrepreneurial artists get more recognition, and that artists and managers often make decisions based on feelings and intangible experiences, complicating strategy-making. This thesis provides a language for artists and their managers to articulate and discuss their strategic decisions, making the entrepreneurial side of music careers more tangible.