Who is your favorite artist or band of all time? Chances are you've seen them live a time or five, and maybe even bought a t-shirt to remember the night by. Regardless of your musical preferences, fans like you are the audience every aspiring musician hopes to perform and create music for one day. Yet the most essential, and often overlooked, member of every band is the one who never sets foot on stage: the manager. They oversee the many business aspects of the band's career, such as booking venues and promoting ticket sales. Every successful artist in the music industry is supported by a dedicated and hardworking personal manager who has spent long hours gaining valuable training and experience to ensure the artist's success. Although the concept of music has been around since man knocked two rocks together and discovered how to create sound, the first group of musicians to make music a business and industry was in 1917 with The Original Dixieland Jass Band. Hailing from New Orleans, the ODJB was the first group to make a jazz recording and even popularized the term "jazz" from its original form, "jass", which was common at the time (Gracyk ). This breakthrough in the music industry paved the way for other jazz musicians, as well as those who would follow, to begin recording, promoting and selling their music, creating a demand for management positions. Often the most famous and successful artists have dedicated managers who run the show behind the curtain. As one of the most successful and recognizable rock groups in history, The Beatles owe their fame to their manager, Brian Epstein. Discovering the band in a small venue in Liverpool, Epstein ensured that concert promoters, business managers, marketing representatives and tour coordinators were all working together to ensure the artist's success. .As an artist manager, the spotlight of fame rarely shines beyond the stage. But in many cases, including my own, those who pursue this demanding, but not so small, wing of the music industry are often more comfortable behind the scenes of stardom. Despite this, I have never let my lack of musical abilities hinder my passion for the industry and its impact on our society. Music has the power to change the world and through its powerful influence, artists are able to not only express themselves through sound but also convey a message to impressionable young minds. The music industry is an orchestra, and while each instrument can work perfectly well on its own, it's when they come together in unison that it evolves into a symphony..