IN CONVERSATION WITH
Daniel Beckley
CLASS OF 2020
It didn’t take long for the Richard Antwi Scholarship to be bestowed its accreditation to not one, but two scholars. In 2019, alongside Esther Lenda Bokuma, it was Daniel Beckley, a South London native, who was given the opportunity to excel on the MA Music Business Management course with the backing of the team behind the scholarship.
With a background in law, and a rich diversity in musical talent, Daniel’s musical prowess includes the saxophone, clarinet and piano, with a particularly keen ear for the legal side of the business to boot. We sat down with Daniel via Zoom to hear about his experiences on the course and the scholarship, what drove him to a career in music, and his vision for the future of the business.
His multi-pronged approach to music, one informed by artistic skill and a firm grasp of its legal contexts, to Daniel, this angle makes most sense, and is a reflection of the realities of the music industry:
“‘These two worlds are very intertwined. If you want to do anything creatively, there has to be some sort of legal structure behind it. And because I had that passion for law and for music, I thought they would blend really well. ”
If anything, this unique perspective is preparing him to be one of the best music business people in town.
“It only makes me a better sort of business person behind the music, because I’m coming from a different angle. You’re constantly sharpening your ear, and you’re able to articulate your views on someone’s creative process much more easily because you understand how it works. ”
Now, in his role as a publishing and A&R assistant at Universal Music Publishing, he puts these unique perspectives to use, as he often finds himself at the intersection between legal teams and the artists upon whom the creative onus ultimately falls. Daniel’s roles span everything from overseeing key sync licensing deals, to working with commercial clients and songwriters behind the scenes. He’s looking forward to the new year where he’ll take up more roles in Legal & Business Affairs, and ultimately in A&R later in the year.
Daniel’s motivations have strong resonances of activism and the continual need to do good by the artists who are the lifeline of the industry, and the communities that catalyze their success. His view of music being an intimate relationship between the law and art is equally driven by the activism that has motivated some of his personal inspirations, including Prince and Bob Dylan.
These motivations that drove Daniel to pursue a career in music were backed by the Richard Antwi Scholarship, and nurtured by his experience on the MA, where he secured a distinction:
“The journey has been extremely positive. Since receiving the scholarship, I’ve been part of a community. It’s an extended family of people who want to provide you with counsel, and help you navigate a career in music. It’s been very eyeopening for me. This is a very relationship-driven industry, and it’s so difficult to get started in the very early and delicate stages of your career. The scholarship has allowed me to have a lot of clarity and be exposed to people that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to. It’s allowed me to get in touch with key individuals from major labels, to secure short term internships in legal firms, and to ultimately obtain this bespoke opportunity at UMPG. ”
Beyond merely the opportunities awarded through the scholarship, Daniel also recognizes its symbolic weight. As he discovered new experiences, Richard became an important role model, and as he met more people in the industry, Richard’s legacy would permeate through many conversations:
“It’s so interesting how everyone has different stories about Richard himself. When I mention the scholarship, I get to hear in return about who Richard was as a person; a person who guided others, and introduced others to new experiences and perspectives. So many individuals speak so highly of him, and it’s so amazing to see how many people Richard was able to touch and connect with, people who still recount so many fun memories about him. So, the scholarship is also about the legacy, and the impression that Richard Antwi himself left on others. He’s been a role model, which is important to have as you navigate the music scene. I’ve been very fortunate to have that motivation. He’s had a huge impact on me.”
The MA, a rigorous course in music business, was one that Daniel felt he needed as be embarked on this new chapter in his life:
“It’s very easy to underestimate just how complex the music business is. It’s so different once you get into it. We were introduced to so many people who came in as guest speakers every single week. It was hugely helpful to gauge what the industry was like from a practical level.
The modules themselves are also very tailored to what you’re actually going to do in the music industry. We started off with a module on intellectual property, and we had modules on live music, marketing, and A&R. Our assignments even reflected what I’m doing now in my current job. The degree is also very forward thinking, so you’re constantly looking at what the music business is going to look like in the future. It gave me the right tone going into the business.”
Through his previous experiences that led him to the MA, and the opportunities that opened up to him through the scholarship, Daniel’s view is now firmly geared toward the future. And just like his approach to music, his outlook is complex and varied:
“Aside from the widespread transition toward label services, I see the future of music heading much more toward the publishing side of things, and empowering our partners in advertising and content production. You’re already seeing outside investors and the majors buying into catalog content. I think that’s going to be increasingly important, because you’re seeing a lot more media companies, who are producing a lot more content. And they’ll need more music for all that content.
Publishing itself is also branching out; we’re seeing music companies signing influencers and comedians more often now, for example. So I think you’ll see a lot more cross-collateral mergers between different people from different spaces. ”
In Daniel’s view, these future trends will be driven by attempts to empower creators in the hiphop and rap scenes to expand their talents to other sectors, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of the genres’ biggest acts in the United States over the years:
“America has always had this hustle spirit that comes from hiphop and rap, in part because they had a lot of great role models over the years. They’re also very open and ambitious in terms of what they want to see done. And they understand that culture morphs into something that’s bigger than just music.
In the UK, though, there still seems to be a gap in realizing the potential of music beyond music itself. One of the things that I’m trying to do at Universal is to connect acts with brands that are looking to tap into new audiences, which has been quite challenging to achieve. Connecting brands with acts in the hiphop and rap scenes will empower communities to create businesses around their cultures.
I see that empowerment in the United States through acts like Jay Z, Kanye West, and Rihanna, and I want to cultivate acts here who can support similar ventures in the UK. Right now, we’re seeing acts like Labrinth move to the US, because he felt he was being pigeonholed here — and now in the US he’s very successful. These are things we’re still trying to understand, and I definitely see myself in that space. ”
When asked for a few final reflections on the scholarship and his journey, here, too, did Daniel look toward the future, and speculated on the impact the scholarship will ultimately have on the music community.
“The scholarship so far is only a snapshot of the impact it’s going to have in the future. In five or ten years time we’ll see how impactful the scholarship is going to be. In order to really get ahead in understanding how to activate our cultural capital, and translate that into financial return, you need to have individuals that understand the culture, that are business-minded, and who embrace technology. And I think the scholarship is very focused on cultivating that talent. I feel like this is only going to get bigger in the future. ”
It’s this motivation that will also continue to drive the scholarship in years to come — to create a community of the next generation of music professionals, who are champions of culture and masters of business.
For more information on how to apply to the scholarship, head over here.