This month’s Front of House features Karin Visser. After learning about CMRRA in a Music Law class, her interest led her to apply for and accept a position as a Royalty Administrator. Outside of work, she is also a singer-songwriter who enjoys performing despite battling performance anxiety. Additionally, she is the chair of CMRRA’s social committee and can often be found ensuring others are having a great time.
Having graduated from Mohawk College with a diploma in Applied Music and earning a Certificate of Independent Music Production from Seneca College, you now hold the position of Royalty Administrator at CMRRA. What drew you to join CMRRA, and could you elaborate on the responsibilities that come with your role?
I learned about the CMRRA during my Music Law class while studying at Seneca. My professor recommended we sign up as aspiring artists, as CMRRA has many helpful resources and good customer service. When it came time to begin my career on the business side of the music industry, CMRRA was already on my radar when I saw a job posting for a Royalties Administrator. I was quite nervous during the interview, but the two women who were interviewing me were extremely nice, and they immediately put me at ease. When I was offered the position, I immediately jumped at the opportunity! As a Royalty Administrator, my day-to-day job involves executing various workflows to ensure accurate royalties are paid out each quarter to our music publishers and self-published songwriters. I love to learn, and at CMRRA there are ongoing opportunities to learn something new.
Music plays a big part in your life as you’re also a singer-songwriter yourself. What is your songwriting process like and what is your favourite part of being an artist?
My favourite part of being an artist is getting up and singing. I have very intense performance anxiety. I find performing for others extremely difficult but have been working on that by going to open mics and taking every opportunity to get up and sing when I can. Whether it is a scheduled gig or karaoke, I love to sing! I find it incredibly funny that I have centred the majority of my life around a career that is very public. My first instrument was piano, so I like to write everything on that. I don’t think I have a particular process. I start with an idea or story that I think I would be able to expand upon in the lyrics. After I have come up with the initial idea, I begin working on the chord progression to try and find a path in the music that will allow the words to flow.
When you’re not at work, how do you spend your free time?
I really like going for walks and being outside when the weather is nice! I bring my dog Lennon, and he has a nice run off leash through the trails in Hamilton. During the winter months, I get extremely lazy and tend to stay at home and watch bad reality TV. Shoutout to the Love Is Blind crew! I’ve also gotten really into baking and cooking. I like trying new recipes I see on cooking shows. Lastly, I love to read. I used to read a lot of fiction, but I have recently become interested in psychology. I am currently waiting for Niel deGrasse Tyson’s latest book to arrive.
On March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day. If you could offer a piece of advice to women working in the music industry, what would it be?
Women are statistically less likely to raise their hand, ask for a raise, be in higher positions of power and are overall told to quiet down. People like Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton, among countless others, fought long and hard to pave the way for us to come bursting into the music scene. We need to remember how much we have to offer and not be shy to contribute to this industry. Keep writing, creating and forcing your way into the conversation because we are deserving of anything that we set our sights on. There are many organizations like Women in Music, She Is The Music, founded by my favourite artist Alicia Keys and many more than are there to help empower us and let us shine!
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