Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.

My name is Michael Caplan and my new consulting company is Record Rabbi. I started in the biz running a record retail chain then went to Epic Records, starting first in promotion then moving over to  A&R for over 20 years. I left in the early 2000's  for the first time to start my own company, Or Music and then came back to Sony again in 2007.

What drove you to choose your career path?

Originally, I went to law school because my parents made me but when I discovered the Jeff Beck Group album “Truth” when I was 13 I knew I had to be in the music business. I also played sax but I wasn’t good enough to make a living at it. I discovered I was better at telling other people what to do and better at giving artists direction.

What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

I spend most of my time listening to and discovering new music, helping developing artists to improve their songwriting and presentation, and talking to them on the goddamn phone. (he laughs) You know hardly anyone talks on the phone, so once I have you, your mine!

What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

That it’s all fun and games. It's not. There is a lot of hard grunt work on all sides.

What are your average work hours?

Unfortunately it’s 24/7 but fortunately it’s doing something I love and it's a calling.

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

The advent of the internet made it much easier. Now I can look on Youtube at a prospective artist instead of flying to their hometown to see them play. Although I am happy to fly there too.  

What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?

I look at the whole "gestalt" when analyzing whether I will work with an artist. Who they are and what they can be and having a vision for that is what I look for. My experience in the business having done retail, sales, marketing, promo, and A&R gives me a great perspective on how to move an artists forward.  I never make recommendations in a vacuum. It is a holistic process.

Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?

Reach me at michael@recordrabbi.com and show me what you got :) Part of my services is connecting an artist with labels, publishing, agents.  I have great relationships with my industry colleagues and it helps because  everyone is so busy and dedicated that they appreciate my recommendations.  Also, on the artist side, a lot of developing artists just not have the acumen to know how to move that forward. Helping my artists  make their song, production, project from something good into something great.

What's the most enjoyable part of the job?

It varies but so far I’ve never gone hungry,  thank God.

How do you move up in your field?

There’s only one person in this company lol.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?

Don’t ever give up on your dreams. If you really want this, you have to know that it will require an Herculean effort to make it happen.