Music Biz Pros: BEAT Entertainment
Published 24 September, 2020
A man of many talents, Samuel Gaskin has lead a career only few would dream of. Not only is he an accomplished artist and actor, he also runs his own company BEAT Entertainment, with his partner, which specialises in bespoke creative solutions for artists. On top of his creative pursuits, Samuel is also a passionate activist for diversity and inclusion in the music industry. We spoke to him about how he manages a multi-faceted career in the music industry, what he’s currently working on and what he hopes will improve in the future.
Please tell us a bit about yourself (How did you start in the music industry? Where have you worked previously?)
I started as a commercial dancer touring with artists as a back-up dancer. I was always tinkering around with music in the background and finally decided to be brave and let people hear it. I put a track called “Gank” up on Unearthed and it spent some weeks at No.1 on their electro charts. That’s what prompted me to take it a little more seriously. I’ve always been someone who loves doing many different things. I’ve only ever worked in entertainment except for my stint at 7-Eleven when I was 15 🤣. I’m an artist and I am signed to Razor Recordings. I’m an actor and just managed to book a job on a mini-series during Covid-19 times which I’m ecstatic about. I run my own company Beat Entertainment with my partner Johnny, we specialise in bespoke creative solutions and work with artists on their videos/tours/press shots etc. We also do a lot of events and corporate work too. I’ve always been an activist and I am EXTREMELY passionate about diversity & inclusion. I work as a speaker for Beyond Blue and I’m also the Victorian Vice President for MEAA Actors Equity. I have two beautiful children Maxwell and Raelah who myself and Johnny co-parent with a lesbian couple. We also have two puppies Krumpet and Grace and two rabbits Snuffle and Crisp 😁
I have previously worked with Katy Perry, Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, HIT NETWORK, Veuve Clicquot, Belvedere Vodka, Moet & Chandon, Kitsune, Southern Cross Austereo. Other credits include Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, ARIAS and the Logies. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some but that’s the gist.
Your career is multi-faceted, you are an artist, producer and the Managing Director of BEAT. What advice do you have for people who want to have a similar career in the music industry with various roles?
My advice is to do all the things you love. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Be a nice person, you would be surprised how much being a genuinely good person helps in every single role you take on. Be authentic, if you take one thing from this let it be that. There’s something to be said about someone who can show up as their authentic self. Never be afraid to ask for help or approach someone for advice or mentoring. The worst thing they can say is no. Often if you have the talent and the drive people want to help, you just have to be brave enough to ask. That’s my last piece of advice be BRAVE even when it feels scary. The most beautiful things have happened for me every time I feel the fear and do it anyway. Oh, and make sure you’re constantly working on your craft whatever that may be. There’s no such thing as “making it”. I believe your dreams need to grow as you grow.
What does your average day at BEAT look like for you?
Woah.... There’s no such thing as an average day really, so I’ll tell you what yesterday looked like. It started with a meeting with Majella Productions about a new music video we’re making, grant writing, then a bunch of social media commitments for MEAA, cast meeting with the cast of ‘Reckoning Te Waiata Paihere Wairua -The Sounds of Woven Souls’, a show we are producing for Melbourne Fringe festival, then a label & management meeting to discuss my new single 'Drop Your Shoulders’. I finished the day with a Te Reo Maori lesson then dinner and a spa with a glass of red to celebrate 🤣
What new projects are you currently working on?
‘Reckoning Te Waiata Paihere Wairua - The Sounds of Woven Souls’ is a show we are producing for Melbourne Fringe. It explores the power of reconnecting with Indigenous blood lines and unifying our cultures from Aotearoa, New Zealand - here to Te Whēnua Moemoeā, (Land of the Dreamtime) Australia. The video for the single which will be released from the same show, it’s called Reckoning and features The Merindas, Paula Barbee, Piri Neho & Mahana Taniora. A mini-series for SBS which I can’t tell you anymore about yet. My next single ‘Drop Your Shoulders’ which I wrote with Joel Ma aka 'Joelistics’ that’s through Razor Recordings and I’m super excited about that as I haven’t put any of my own music out for a minute. I’m also currently on the negotiating team for MEAA coming up with a new EBA for Michael Cassel group and the cast of Hamilton.
How are you and BEAT adapting to the post COVID-19 music industry?
It’s uncharted territory. We are doing what we’ve always done which is focus on the positive and be creative. The best bit about working in the arts is that you often don’t know what’s coming next until you’re run off your feet all of a sudden. At Beat we are choosing to enjoy the calm before the storm because if there’s one thing we know it’s that the world can’t be bright without the arts and music in particular. Before we know it, this will all be over, and we will be back out there making people smile and dance left right and centre and you best believe we are HERE FOR IT!
The industry is going through challenging times caused by COVID-19. What do you hope will change/improve in the music industry in future?
I hope the music industry learns how to become truly inclusive and I don’t just mean in a tokenistic way. I want to see more woman & Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) in positions of power. The rein of the straight white male is coming to an end and I’m excited about it (no shade intended). For me what’s exciting is seeing things that haven’t been done before. In Australia we seem to like re-hashing the same old tired concepts for some reason. I want to see a music industry as diverse as our people. I want to see indigenous mob leading the charge and creating new pathways. I want to see female, queer or BIPOC heads of every record label and organisation in between. If 2020 has taught me anything it’s that things are changing whether we like it or not and I am genuinely excited by it. #PEACE 🖤
To learn more about BEAT Entertainment visit: www.beatentertrainment.com.au
To learn more about Samuel Gaskin visit:
www.instagram.com/samuelgaskinmusic/
www.facebook.com/SamuelGaskinMusic
Image by: Anna Fry