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New booking agent offers local exposure |
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Tuesday, 30 October 2007 |
 | Kramer
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by Brittany Spencer
Intern News Reporter
He is already popular with local bar owners, and local bands will be interested to know his name.
Jay M. Kramer, a junior interdisciplinary study (IDS) major with a concentration in entrepreneurship in music industry, has started his own booking agency called High Country Booking.
“I had an internship this [past] summer at the Charlotte office of East Coast Entertainment and it turned into a job, so that’s what got me interested in starting High Country Booking,” Kramer said. “I got first hand experience dealing with bands. I got a look at the management side and event construction and I learned a ton.”
“I love music and I kind of realized I wanted a more stable lifestyle
in the music industry [than being a musician,]” Kramer said. “I wanted
to be in the music industries studies program because I play piano and
percussion, but I didn’t want to take all these performance classes.”
Based on his performance in the Introduction to Music Industry class, Kramer was able to design his own major.
“It’s been awesome having the ability to forge my own path by designing my own major,” Kramer said.
“I’m doing my very best, I’m passionate about it and I think [Director of Music Industry Studies Kim L. Wangler] saw that.”
Wangler helped Kramer create his major.
“[Kramer] is very passionate and capable,” Wangler said. “I’m impressed
with his ability to dream and follow through. We worked really hard to
design something unique to set up his ‘create your own’ major.’”
Wangler was previously looking at a way to set up a booking agency with groups and bands she works with on campus.
“I don’t feel there’s a need for two booking agencies on campus,
because [Kramer] saw the opportunity to help and jumped on it,” Wangler
said. “I hope the groups I work with will use his [booking agency] and
I will encourage them to. Someone in my program is seizing this
opportunity, so I’m happy.”
Wangler thinks High Country Booking will be a good service for local
bands in the community, and she has spoken with excited bar owners.
“I am excited about working with [Kramer],” said Bart Conway, owner of
Canyons in Blowing Rock. “[Kramer and Conway] are excited about working
with the local musicians.”
Canyons offers live music every Friday and Saturday. Every Sunday, Canyons holds a jazz brunch.
“Around Sept. 1, I started with the idea for High Country Booking, and
on Oct. 10, I received a certificate of assumed name for a sole
proprietorship,” Kramer said. “This was the day I filed for the
business name.”
Julia Rowland, assistant director of the Walker College of Business, gave Kramer advice on getting his business started.
“Julia Rowland has been awesome on giving me advice about getting my
business up and running, tax and insurance aspects and contract
issues,” Kramer said.
Since the start of his business earlier this month, Kramer booked a gig
for Galveston Band, a local cover band, at Parthenon Café Bar and Grill
Oct. 6.
“I work with cover bands and original acts,” said Kramer. “The cover
bands are more for entertainment and I work with the original acts as
more of a service to them to get them out there with some face time.”
Kramer wants to help promote local bands.
“I am supportive of the Boone music scene and all the bands affiliated with the community,” Kramer said.
Kramer gets 10 percent of the profit for the events he books and he said “industry-wide that’s very low.”
“Bands and teachers say this is cool and all worth it, but I’m just doing it for experience right now,” Kramer said.
Kramer is working on a local talent showcase for late November to be held at Geno’s for the Western Youth Network.
Anyone interested in obtaining booking help for his or her band should contact Kramer at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
“This just goes to show the opportunity to get real-world experience,
because it’s learning but it’s not as neatly-packaged as writing a
paper or taking a test,” Wangler said.
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