Open Door: Jay Singh reflects on sharpening his skills
Before I applied for the inaugural Open Door mentorship programme back in June, I (like many others) was feeling pretty disheartened about what the future may hold for me. With the world on lockdown and the fate of the music industry up in the air, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d be able to gain the experience and the knowledge necessary to work my way up to my dream career. Opportunities to do so were near impossible to come by — until I heard about Latch.
Once the mentorship began, it was clear that Open Door was exactly the chance I needed. Weekly tasks set by my mentors Hannah and George helped sharpen my skills: drafting up press releases and pitches, scouring the web for new bands and the right places to plug them, organising to the nth degree to keep each aspect of a campaign in check. Shadowing an ongoing press campaign gave me a real-time look into the day-to- day of a publicist, and solidified my desire to work the job myself one day.
I was also able to put myself in the shoes of people working unfamiliar roles in the music industry through the webinars: the independent artist talk with Asha Gold, Qhairo, and Latir provided me insight into what the artist expects and hopes for during a PR campaign; Liberty Phelps helped me better know how best to approach a radio host or producer who I want to spin a track I’m plugging, and what exactly they’d be looking for. The four weeks of content practically flew by, leaving me with a well-rounded understanding of PR, radio, and countless other corners of the business.
For a programme conceived during a time of such uncertainty, Open Door was consistent in its delivery of indispensable information and experience. I’m excited to see not only how it develops in future iterations, but also the other similar schemes that are already beginning to crop up. Now more than ever, when entry-level jobs in the industry are multitudes harder to come by, mentorships such as this are absolutely crucial to help young, aspiring professionals begin their careers. Thanks to Latch, I’m feeling more prepared than ever to begin my career in the music industry — and it seems much less daunting!
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