Amanda Forbes, Tour Accountant

Amanda Forbes, Tour Accountant

Amanda Forbes

“I had the opportunity for Amanda [Forbes] to shadow me on a few tour runs and she truly impressed everyone,” says Tour Director David ‘5-1’ Norman. “I am so proud to see she’s been out with Dave Matthews Band and making a good impression on everyone. The young lady truly amazes me.”

Echoing the familiar refrain of, “I didn’t know this could be a career,” Forbes is certainly having a good go of launching herself in the live event business. She is currently out on tour with Dave Matthews Band (DMB) as Assistant Tour Accountant/Administrative Assistant, and she got there by working for companies like CID Presents, Sixthman, and Live Nation on shows for the likes of Kenny Chesney and Luke Bryan, among others. Shadowing Norman for a few My Morning Jacket shows was certainly a break. Otherwise, the Florida native has been wisely filling her time working whatever live event she can, from production running to VIP support, Artist Relations, and more. And for anyone looking to emulate how she got into the business, the three words might be “volunteer, learn, and network.” “My philosophy is that no matter what the job, if I can get new or additional live event experience, it’ll help me become better in this business.”

Entertainment Management Classes

Forbes grew up in Jacksonville, FL, and she says that from an early age she took to the classic rock her parents had playing in the house, which led to a love of going to see live shows. “But I had zero musical talent,” she says with a laugh. “And since I couldn’t play an instrument, why would I consider any kind of career involving music?” She started college in 2019 at the University of Central Florida as undeclared, but then a program in Entertainment Management caught her eye. She started taking the program’s course work and took to it right away. “I then started doing every single thing I possibly could that might help me learn about the music business in any way.” This included volunteering at shows and festivals and being a runner for live events happening on the campus.

Forbes then took on internships. Her first was at Entertainment Technology Partners in Orlando, a global multi-brand entertainment company that owns LMG, among others. There she assisted in event planning, helped teach classes to other employees, and worked at their CoiL Learning Center. She took advantage of the company’s emphasis on networking and lifelong education which she credits for giving her a strong foundation in the business. After that pandemic “break,” she went back at it picking up whatever work and experience she could. This includes additional educational opportunities; she cites the webinar she participated in, “Tour Management 101,” as especially valuable. Next came work back on campus with the Pegasus Music Group, the University’s organization that provides students with involvement and networking opportunities within the music industry. She rose to be President of the organization before graduating with a BS in Entertainment Management in 2021.

Amanda Forbes with mentor, Tour Director David ‘5-1’ Norman

Then came another internship that would have an especially big impact on her career trajectory: Well Dunn Foundation. The Atlanta-based nonprofit is dedicated to closing the diversity gap in the music and entertainment industry. Norman, President of the organization, was one of the people she worked with there. He says he noticed her attention to detail and due diligence right away, and “it was amazing to note that someone that young could be so efficient.” He introduced her to Nancy Tarr, Executive Director of the foundation. Forbes then got to help Tarr and Norman create and launch the first round of Well Dunn Mentorship Programs in the Fall of 2020. Norman next put her in touch with Sixthman, an Atlanta-based cruise event production company, where she freelances as part of the PA/Host Assistant/Artist Relations team on various events such as the KISS Kruise, Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea, and Cayamo.

> Continue reading at plsn.com

Continue ReadingAmanda Forbes, Tour Accountant

SPRING 23 MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED

SPRING 23 MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED

The Well Dunn Mentorship 2023 Spring Cohort launched in April with over 40 mentees and 60 mentors and speakers.  We are dedicated to empowering individuals who are aspiring to break into the music industry. This program is one of our most valuable learning experiences.

This transformative program spans over eight weeks, offering mentees a unique opportunity to learn about different career paths. During the first four weeks of the program, we featured a series of captivating sessions where mentees had the privilege of listening to renowned music industry professionals as guest speakers. These speakers shared their insights, stories, and expertise, shedding light on various aspects of the music industry.

During the second four weeks, mentees were paired with experienced and accomplished industry professionals who served as their mentors. These mentors provided valuable guidance, advice, and support. They spent the four weeks helping mentees navigate the intricacies of the music industry and develop their skills and networks. The Well Dunn Foundation’s mentorship program serves as a catalyst for personal and professional growth, fostering meaningful connections, and nurturing the next generation of music industry leaders!  Many of our mentees were able to meet up with their mentors in person for job shadowing and externship opportunities.  Our next mentorship program launches in October, if you are interested in being a mentor please apply here.

Continue ReadingSPRING 23 MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED

Atlanta’s Dunn family proudly carry on their daughter’s legacy

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News
Credit: Jenni Girtman

Well Dunn Foundation helps those entering the entertainment industry

Rather than simply mourn the loss of their late daughter Emily Dunn, metro Atlanta residents Deborah and Chris Dunn are actively carrying on her legacy.

“When people ask me what I’m doing now, I answer, ‘I do Well Dunn,’” Deborah Dunn said with a palpable sense of sadness, tinged with parental pride. “It’s actually what keeps us going.”

Celebrating its 10th year, the Well Dunn Foundation wascreated as an offshoot of Well Dunn Entertainment, the business Emily Dunn formed while she was a student at Washington University in St. Louis. Dunn, who grew up in Atlanta and attended the Lovett School, started Well Dunn to help promote local and national music events.

After graduating from college, she relocated to San Francisco for jobs with event management companySuperfly and the Outside Lands music festival.

In 2011, during one of her frequent phone calls to her mother, “Emily was telling me how much she loved her life and how happy she was with all of her plans,” Deborah Dunn recalled.

> Read more on ajc.com

Continue ReadingAtlanta’s Dunn family proudly carry on their daughter’s legacy

iVoted Festival 2022 To Feature Music Midtown & Well Dunn Stage For 2022 Midterm Election

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

#iVoted Festival, which built the largest digital concert in history in 2020, is back for the 2022 midterms. The nonpartisan election night webcast features the top trending artists in and from key states whose electoral margins are often decided by the size of a concert venue. Fans RSVP to access the election night webcast with a selfie from outside their nearest polling place or at home with a blank and unmarked ballot.

As Georgia is a key battleground state, #iVoted Festival will feature a virtual Music Midtown & Well-Dunn Stage presented by Atlanta’s iconic Music Midtown and Atlanta based non-profit Well Dunn. The stage will feature appearances by The Revivalists,  Brittney Spencer and showcases the top trending artists in and from Georgia. #iVoted Festival 2022 artists performing on the Music Midtown & Well Dunn stage include Lawrence Flowers & Intercession, A$H, Glimmers, The Carolyn, Brother Hawk, Noel Scales, Rebecca Loebe, The Relics and more. Additional stages include performances and appearances including A Conversation w/ W. Kamau Bell & Tom Morello, Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Run the Jewels (Holy Calamavote TV concert rebroadcast), Steph Curry, Eugene Mirman, Lake Street Dive, CNCO, Rise Against, Umphrey’s McGee, Los Lobos, The Revivalists, Shakey Graves, Taylor Bennett, Carl Craig, Em Beihold, The Black Angels, Messer, The Range, Bully, VINCINT, Umphrey’s McGee, DeVotchKa, 3OH!3, Black Stone Cherry, El Trono de Mexico, Piper Perabo, La Bouche, Fabiø Guerra, Richard Marx, Jamby El Favo, The Starting Line, The Happy Fits, Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, Twiztid, The Suffers and more with the full lineup available HERE: https://ivotedfestival.org/

> Read more on enigmaonline.com

Continue ReadingiVoted Festival 2022 To Feature Music Midtown & Well Dunn Stage For 2022 Midterm Election

How College Committees & Internships Open Doors For The Music Industry’s Future

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

Music remains one of the most sought after industries for young college-aged students. However, like many with big dreams and little experience, the biggest question for potential interns is how do they get their foot in the door?

College committees are one of the many options for students to find opportunities breaking into the business.  

“It was completely responsible for my start in the industry,” Nederlander VP of Marketing Jamie Loeb tells Pollstar about her time as a student at UC Santa Barbara.

“Someone came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go to a show for free. I said, ‘Sure, what do I have to do?’ They said, ‘Stand by this door and don’t let anyone in.’ And next thing I knew I was backstage security, but that was part of the associated students program board at UCSB. And from there I started marketing shows. I started working hospitality for shows, and then I moved my way to booking shows.” 

> Read more on pollstar.com

Continue ReadingHow College Committees & Internships Open Doors For The Music Industry’s Future

Spotlight: Well Dunn Foundation

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

Music Forward doesn’t just produce content for our broad global audiences. We also partner with organizations and schools across the country to ensure our programming is getting to passionate, young people in communities we can’t reach in-person! This month we want to highlight the Well Dunn Foundation as one such partnership. We caught up with Nancy Tarr,executive director of the foundation, to let us know all about their 5+ year Music Forward connection.

How did your organization become connected with Music Forward?

We partnered on outreach opportunities via NAMM for high school students at the Anaheim, CA House of Blues and Well Dunn placed Music Forward students in paid internships.

How does your organization engage with Music Forward? What programs do you utilize most? 

We share Music Forward’s programming, scholarships, and internship opportunities. Music Forward sends well-qualified students to Well Dunn and we send Music Forward well-qualified students for internships, All Access programs, Artist and Career Development panels and Open Mics too.

What are the most important aspects of the music industry your students need to understand? How does Music Forward support that message? 

“Job readiness” is one of the most important aspects of working in the music industry. Music Forward is a great education and opportunity partner to provide access, education, and career development to our Well Dunn students.

> Read more on musicforwardfoundation.org

Continue ReadingSpotlight: Well Dunn Foundation

David ‘5-1’ Norman Named President Of Well Dunn (Exclusive)

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

David ‘5-1’ Norman has been named President of the non-profit organization, Well Dunn.

Norman first joined the organization in 2020 as a member of the Board of Directors and will be replacing Rick Farman as President, who founded the non-profit in 2012 and will be remaining with Well Dunn on the Board of Directors.

Norman tells Pollstar that he was drawn to the organization due to a desire to pay things forward and help support the next generation of live music.

“When I came onto Well Dunn, I wanted to bring more diversity to it, being a person of color,” Norman tells Pollstar. “But I also am a strong believer that we need more females in this industry – and not just in wardrobe or as a production coordinator or production assistant. We need more female tour managers and production managers.”

Well Dunn was first founded in 2012 to continue the memory of Emily Dunn, a music industry intern who had been hired to open the San Francisco office of Superfly Presents after graduating college. Dunn tragically passed after being hit by a Muni bus just three weeks into her new position, with Well Dunn launching to help both companies and students connect for internships.

> Read more on pollstar.com

Continue ReadingDavid ‘5-1’ Norman Named President Of Well Dunn (Exclusive)

Paying It Forward To Help The Next Generation Break Into the Biz

Photo by Alex Prince / courtesy Henry Bordeaux / Tour Management 101

Tour Management 101 interns on site at Lollapalooza with Tyler, the Creator’s team in Chicago: tour manager Henry Bordeaux, Alix Negrin, Veronica Fuchs Espinal, production manager David ‘5-1’ Norman, and Tia Harewood-Millington.

When Tyler, the Creator took the stage at Lollapalooza July 30 to close out Day 2 with a headline performance that was praised by the Chicago Sun Times as a “visionary, art-driven set that melded jazz, R&B, rap, trip hop and darkcore,” his show came to life in part because of the efforts of a few Tour Management 101 interns who shadowed Tyler’s team.

“We had a couple of students that shadowed us at Lollapalooza and we didn’t take it lightly on them,” production manager David ‘5-1’ Norman of Tour Forensics told Pollstar. “We said if you guys want to see what it’s really like, you’re going to have to come with us at midnight [for] load-in.”

He added, “Tour manager Henry Bordeaux brings in students to shadow, because that’s the best way to learn. … You know, you can talk about it, but you’ve got to walk the walk. You’ve got to physically be involved.” 

The team loaded in at midnight, left Chicago’s Grant Park at 10:15 a.m., went back to the hotel, slept for a few hours, and then returned to the site at 6:30 p.m. Tyler, the Creator’s went on at 8:45 and then load-out finished up around 1 a.m.

Norman praised the interns, Alix Negrin, Veronica Fuchs Espinal and Tia Harewood-Millington, commenting that he “never heard them complain, like, ‘Oh, I’m so tired’ or anything. They came in, they knew what to expect and they jumped in and helped out where needed. They did amazing.

“I also have to give a shout out to our production coordinator on Tyler. His name is Alex Prince – who’s amazing. He really helped the students out in the production office, teaching them and guiding them. Between Henry and Alex, I think the students learned a lot.”

> Read the rest of Sarah Pittman’s article on Pollstar.com

Continue ReadingPaying It Forward To Help The Next Generation Break Into the Biz

Foundation Born from Death of Emerging Industry Pro Seeks to Support Live Events Dreams for Students

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News

Emily Dunn was a very passionate young person. When she chose to do something, she saw it through. In 2005, when she was just 16, she talked her mom, Deborah, into going to Bonnaroo together where she immediately fell in love with live events. Over the next year, while still in high school, Emily created her own company, Well Dunn Entertainment. She worked with AC Entertainment, Suite Treatments and others every chance she had. After taking a gap year between high school and college to travel the world, she continued working extensively with concerts and events throughout college.

Emily Dunn was a very passionate young person. When she chose to do something, she saw it through. In 2005, when she was just 16, she talked her mom, Deborah, into going to Bonnaroo together where she immediately fell in love with live events. Over the next year, while still in high school, Emily created her own company, Well Dunn Entertainment. She worked with AC Entertainment, Suite Treatments and others every chance she had. After taking a gap year between high school and college to travel the world, she continued working extensively with concerts and events throughout college.

> Read more on bohlive.com

Continue ReadingFoundation Born from Death of Emerging Industry Pro Seeks to Support Live Events Dreams for Students

ANNOUNCING NEW WELL DUNN BOARD MEMBER DAVID ‘5-1’ NORMAN

  • Post author:
  • Post category:News
Posted By: Nancy Tarr on October 05, 2020

(New York, NY) Music industry networking nonprofit Well Dunn is pleased to announce the appointment of new Board member David ‘5-1’ Norman. Norman, a Tour Director / Tour Accountant has 35 years of global touring experience throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and South Africa. During the pandemic, Norman, along with several other tour managers lead the Tour Management 101 Webinar series where the next generation can learn about the concert industry.

Well Dunn Executive Director, Nancy Tarr says, “I am thrilled to have David join our board; he has already provided backstage mentoring opportunities for Well Dunn candidates, and during these difficult times he has stepped in to create incredible learning and networking opportunities with Tour Management 101. He will be instrumental in developing and launching our newly implemented mentoring program and will be a great asset to our community of students.”

David ‘5-1’ Norman said, “I am truly honored and humbled to be joining Well Dunn’s efforts while representing this amazing organization. When I started in this industry, I had three amazing mentors whom I still speak with even today.

> Read more on hbcuconnect.com

Continue ReadingANNOUNCING NEW WELL DUNN BOARD MEMBER DAVID ‘5-1’ NORMAN