Interview: Pam Esposito
Women and the Masks We Wear
BanterGirl was lucky enough to sit down with Pam Esposito, a talented artist relations manager in the music industry, and discuss how she balances her passion for festivals with being a mother.
You head up artist relations for The Catskill Chill. What are the best and worst things about helping to coordinate a music festival?
The best thing about helping to coordinate a music festival is getting to work with people you love and trust to create a place for thousands of like minded people to gather and enjoy a similar experience in a safe, kind environment centered around the universal language of music. Being a part of that always gives me a feeling of purpose.
The worst part is when something negative happens to give anyone a negative vibe towards the festival that you worked so hard to make happy and peaceful. We can't control everything, and with large crowds, negativity finds its way in now and again.
What first drew you to the music industry?
I love music. It’s been a strong influence in my life for as long as I have been alive. My parents always had music on, and my dad, specifically, was a music fan. I have been known to say, "music is my boyfriend" on many occasions. After my children were born, I was looking for work that would give me purpose and started volunteering for a non-profit that my friends started in the festival community and found that I was really good at it and enjoyed it, so I started pursuing it. It does not pay the bills, but I keep trying.
What do you think is the most important thing about experiencing live music?
Oh, I could go on and on with this one. The most important thing about the experience is the energy that cannot be replicated. tudio recordings can be powerful, but when you are in front of a band and there is an energy exchange between the audience and the artists, their music changes. Every performance is different and you become a part of it. Even when you hear a copy of that performance, the magic lingers and you can recall it as if you were just there. Live music has always been magic to me.
Who has been your favorite act to work with?
I could not answer this with accuracy. I really do like working with most performers. I could tell you who I don't like working with, but that would be unprofessional!
In your experience, has it ever been difficult being a woman in the industry?
Yes, it has been difficult. Sometimes, I can use it to my advantage, but it is never in the ways to advance my career morally or the way I would actually do it.
You have two children, both almost fully grown. What is one piece of advice you would give to mothers who want to pursue an adventurous career like yours?
Always be honest with your children. Try to get them interested in what you are doing. Take time to be with your children. Nothing is as important as time with them, period! They will grow up and not want to be with you. When they are young, they need to know you want to be with them.
What is one of your happiest memories in this life?
The holidays spent in Jamaica with my entire immediate family and their kids.
What is your greatest wish for 2017?
My greatest wish for 2017 is to find peace and happiness within myself and for my loved ones.
Pam Esposito
