Hey Legends, my name is Monica and I’m an Artist Coach, Digital Marketer, music journo for HEAVY Magazine and vocalist of metal band The Last Martyr.
I started my musical journey like many others do, playing in the garage with my angry teenage girl band. Since then, I’ve toured Australia and overseas, released EPs and videos, played sold out shows, played to empty rooms, been played on radio, been rejected, crashed on many-a-strangers floors and pretty much everything else you’d expect of the muso lifestyle.
After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Popular Music Performance at JMC Academy, I went on to work at Copyright Agency – a copyright licensing and royalty distribution agency that worked closely with APRA/AMCOS. All the while I was consistently writing, recording and touring with my own metal band, trying to figure out how to break through the glass ceiling.
Despite a Bachelor’s degree in music and working in bands since I was 13, I felt stuck, unsure of why other bands were getting opportunities such as tour supports or media attention, and mine wasn’t. I felt invisible.
That is until one day I took an opportunity to manage the social media of Australia’s biggest heavy music publication HEAVY Magazine. Working on the business side of the industry exposed me to so much knowledge and insight in such a short period of time and it was like I could see clearly for the first time.
I realised that playing live and slogging it out on stage (to what seemed like an audience that never got any bigger) was no longer the main way to gain a following and social media was becoming the most powerful tool an emerging band could use to get more exposure. I learned the tools and strategies successful up and coming bands and their managers were using to build their career and I knew I had to share this knowledge with other up and coming bands. I’d already seen far too many of my peers give up on their dreams in only a matter of years and I had to make it my mission to prevent this from happening any further.
After the band I was in for 6 years called it quits, I moved from Sydney to Melbourne and begun working as a digital marketer professionally taking on clients such as record labels, touring companies, photographers and music teachers just looking to build an online empire.
As my network grew as a musician, music journo and marketer grew, I found myself increasingly receiving messages from bands I knew and bands completely outside my network, asking for the music industry and marketing advice. So armed with my experience working in digital marketing, the Music Industry as well as learning from the mistakes and wins of my old band, I started making YouTube Videos to try and answer some of the most common questions I was getting.
That YouTube channel eventually turned into working with bands one-on-one to uplevel their marketing and strategy so they can start getting more exposure and not feel invisible like I did.
I launched my blog and Facebook Group ‘Music Marketing & Mindset for Heavy Bands/Musicians‘ in towards the end of 2018 and have also released my first online social media course for bands Social Media Shredder, with many other courses to come!
My life’s mission had always been to support and inspire others to follow their dreams through my music, and as I begin my journey with my new band, I hope to take you along with me. But I believe everything happens for a reason and I know that everything that has happened in my life until this point has led me to where I am today and starting this business.
If you’re interested in learning more about my coaching programs or anything else I’m up to feel free to contact me!
PS: You can also follow my band The Last Martyr, on Facebook and Instagram.
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.” – Paulo Coelho
