I.M. Steve Waxman

I.M.STEVE WAXMAN

Entertainment Career Guidance

Empowering artists to take control of their careers


Steve has a unique ability to look at a project and know exactly what needs to be done. Not a lot of people can do that.
— Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo
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About


 
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Steve Waxman has spent his career helping high profile clients* build their narrative, navigate challenges, share their story and make a difference. That career includes working in artist management in New York City (Aucoin Management) as well as at Canadian independent and major record labels (Ready Records, Attic Records and Warner Music Canada). He has worked with a diverse roster of artists, contributing creative marketing, promotion and communication strategies, treating every act as unique and every project as a new opportunity to introduce fresh ideas. These are exciting times when artists can communicate and market directly to fans to help build an enduring career and Steve can be a part of your team.

*Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, Metallica, Blue Rodeo, Bruno Mars, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Paul Brandt, Tom Petty, Scott Helman, Lizzo, Gary Clark Jr. , Madonna, Green Day, R.E.M., Phil Collins, Ed Sheeran, Wilco, Corey Hart, Brian Wilson, Stone Temple Pilots, Philip Sayce, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, Courage My Love, Barenaked Ladies, Hootie & The Blowfish, Maestro Fresh Wes, Billy Talent…

Selected Projects

 

Scott Helman - Launching a career

In 2013, Scott Helman was an unknown artist with 30 followers on Twitter. Placing his discovery of music through Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon as the centrepiece of his story demonstrated that he had a depth of knowledge not normally associated with a pop singer. An early fan base was established by creating a consistent flow of content and having Scott building a rapport with fans through social media engagement.  Interviews were scheduled with blogs and college press to help prepare him for mainstream media opportunities once commercial singles were released. In early discussions, Scott made it clear that he cared about the world and wanted to be an agent of change so we worked together to set up and develop  Solve The Solvable, an online initiative to engage his growing legion of fans to do positive work in their communities. As a result of these efforts, Scott has earned the respect of fans, media and fellow artists as well as multiple gold and platinum singles and 39,000 Twitter followers.

Aaron Goodvin - Connecting the face to the music

When country singer / songwriter Aaron Goodvin released his debut album in 2016 he enjoyed radio success with the singles “Lonely Drum,” “Woman In Love,” and “Miss Me Yet.” The challenge was to help Aaron stand out in a crowded field of country music singers. Creative, strategic planning of video productions helped establish many facets of Aaron’s character. The video for “Lonely Drum” gave fans a look at what to expect from him as a live performer. The clip for “Woman In Love” - beautifully shot at Aaron’s wedding by music video director Emma Huggins - captured Aaron’s real life romance with his wife. In 2018, Aaron was named Songwriter of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association.

To launch his sophomore album, V, we further established his credibility as a songwriter by filming content that featured the songwriting process of the album’s first single “You Are” as well as producing an unconventional country music video that showcased Aaron’s sense of humour.  The result was a gold single and Aaron’s first #1 Country Radio hit.

Jim Cuddy - Establishing an intimate relationship with fans

In 2019 Jim Cuddy reworked a number of previously released solo and Blue Rodeo songs for the album Countrywide Soul. Jim had had a long standing relationship with fans but had never given them a peek behind the curtain of his life.  For this release the plan was to be as intimate as possible without compromising his privacy.  A series of solo acoustic performances and a track by track commentary were shot in Jim’s home while a music video for the album’s first single, “Back Here Again,” featured Jim and his band mates performing in their respective homes mixed with shots of them doing everyday chores. This approach to content helped underline the acoustic woodsy feel to the re-working of the material.

Neil Young - Making a difference 

In 2014, Neil Young announced a tour of Canada in support of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s fight with developers of the Alberta oil sands. The challenge was to make sure that media clearly understood the purpose of the tour and communicated Neil’s concerns clearly to the public. Working closely with Neil and his manager, Elliott Roberts, we planned the messaging for the tour and hosted press conferences in each city on the tour, generating several millions of dollars in media value coverage. 

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DEFINE YOUR NARRATIVE

Are you creating a clear and concise message that anyone can understand?

CREATE YOUR CONTENT

Are you creating content that tells your story effectively?

SHARE YOUR STORY

Are you developing a strong bond with your fanbase?

Services

Working one on one with artists:

 
  • Creative marketing strategies - building a fanbase / getting noticed in a crowded world

  • Effective communication strategies - defining the narrative / creating effective talking points / targeting your audience

  • Media training - staying on message

  • A&R feedback - getting all that you can out of your creativity / sounding original

  • Content strategies - bios / videos / photos

  • Social media - how much more can you do / making an impact

  • Grant applications - assistance with marketing, publicity and radio promotion plans

  • A wide range of contacts to help build your team (publicity, radio promotion, agents, etc.)

  • Consulting album release and tour strategies

  • Consulting music video production

Additional service - bio writing

Contact for pricing

Working in groups:

COLLABORATION HUB (maximum 3 - 5 artists)

 

The Collaboration Hub is a six week program for musicians in any genre.

This is an opportunity for artists to connect and to help one another take the next step their careers.

Each week I’ll lead a discussion on a different aspect of career development with an exchange of ideas and constructive criticism on how to achieve our goals.

We’ll start by talking about how a well-defined narrative can help you set realistic goals and lead to building a stronger team. We’ll talk about originality and creating effective content as well as establishing a strong fan experience.

I want this to be of value to everyone and I want everyone to participate, so I’ll be keeping the workshops small.  There will be no more than 5 artists in each six week session.

My intention is for this program to be useful for artists of any level - from those just starting out and have no experience in the music industry to platinum-level heritage artists who aren’t sure how to make their way around this new world we are living in. 

Contact for more information

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Testimonials

Steve Waxman has been an integral part of Blue Rodeo and Jim Cuddy’s success story over the last 20+ years. A truly original thinker, Steve offers a unique perspective to our discussions and planning. I have relied on his publicity and marketing acumen to help us create and execute interesting and personalized release campaigns that are always specifically tailored to the artist, the album or the song.
— susan de cartier, starfish entertainment (Blue Rodeo management)
Steve’s visions flow, he is thoughtful, creative and passionate about music. The collaboration has helped shape our band’s narrative giving us clear direction in our release strategies and inspired us to be unique and think outside the box.
— The Long War, independent artist
Steve isn’t going to waste your money on spamming press/radio/playlisters, nor is he going to promise record deals and stardom. What Steve Waxman offers artists is far more valuable. He works with the artist one-on-one, getting to know who they are, why they are doing what they are doing, and helps the artist find their narrative - their unique and marketable story of why their music matters (and to whom). His connections run deep throughout the North American music industry, and he will use them when the artist is legitimately ready. He will help with the leg-work of making contacts on behalf of the artist, follow-up, and will provide insightful guidance along the way that improves the probability and scale of success for future releases.
— Collen (frontman), Bent Roads Tavern
Having had the opportunity to work closely with Steve for nearly five years, I am continually impressed and amazed by his strategic vision and thoughtful approach to artist development, his publicity wizardry, and his tenacious drive to help grow the artists and music he believes in.
— Philip Sayce, Warner Music recording artist
I love your brilliant, creative mind, and look forward to working with you again in the future.
— Nancy Tunick, Co-Owner / Managing Partner Grassroots Promotions
Steve is helping me understand the steps needed in order to debut my first album. It is clear to me that Steve is not only passionate about supporting the music but also the people behind it.
— michael shankar, independent artist
Steve sees the big picture and his experience can speak to the whole process. Recently, he was instrumental in helping focus the intersection of music and brand for the artist Carys
— Gavin Brown, Juno Award-winning producer
There are very few people who understand the music eco system, in every genre, better than Steve Waxman. His steady hand as VP of Public Relations at Warners Music Canada has led to many artist’s extraordinary success, but I think he would be prouder of the fact that he has counselled artists, who block by block, built sustainable satisfying careers with their art intact, without compromise. There is no price tag for that.

Steve understands the process of creation so well because he is an extremely creative creator. I know this because I have been working with Steve Waxman for 40 years and with kindness, vision and humility he has never led me down the wrong path.
— Matt Zimbel, Producer, Artistic Director, Musician (Manteca)


 

Contact


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