Music As a Passion and in Professional Life
Music is in Chiara Bonarrigo's DNA. Although she does not come from a family of musicians, music was always an important part of her family life. "My grandfather was a hospital administrator, but he also attended a music conservatory," says Chiara, a Bocconi alumna who completed the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management for Arts, Culture and Communication, then the MSc in Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media and Entertainment. Now Chiara is in London and is Label Relations and Partnership Lead for Italy at Vevo, the music video platform created by Sony Music and Universal. "Music was our common thread. At school I developed this passion by studying singing, musicals and dance. Then I realized I didn't want to be an artist, but rather work behind the scenes in the music industry." This is why she chose two creative industries management programs at Bocconi, "which allowed me to keep my two souls together, one more connected to the arts and a more rational one." It was a fortuitous coincidence that led to her first internship at Universal, and there it was a climb up to the managerial position she holds today, where she deals with relations with Italian labels and therefore the promotion and distribution of videos of Italian artists on YouTube and other circuits. Working "on an all-female team."
This aspect, Chiara explains, is what marks the difference between the Anglo-Saxon market and the music industry she still sees today in Italy. "When I started, at a time when we were witnessing the digital transition of music, I saw an industry in Italy populated mainly by men. Almost 10 years later, although the situation has evolved, it is still typically male. All the top management positions are made up of men, women can only be found starting from the second tier," she says. "When I arrived in the UK, I was struck by this: to see how the majority of people in my office were women." And thinking back especially to the beginnings, "although I have never been discriminated against in my work, my feeling is that in Italy it is always a bit difficult to gain credibility in my industry as a woman, that you always have to work a little harder to prove your worth."
Though tenacious – "I have always tried not to be too influenced by the judgment of others" – Chiara Bonarrigo is now facing numerous challenges. They are linked to an industry that is constantly changing and where the big bet "is to understand what the next frontiers will be, now that the digital market is beginning to be saturated. Also because our product is not things, but people, artists."
What is certain is that Chiara would not change anything about her career in the music industry. To anyone who would like to work in the industry, she advises to never give up aiming high in your goals: "We often think that companies in the sector are unreachable, but if you are motivated you should not be afraid of bothering anyone and use every type of contact possible." In addition, she explains, "There is a lot of confusion about the recording world because at first glance the focus falls exclusively on the major players. But there are also lots of organizations such as publishers, labels, independent distributors, as well as the world of live performances or even the entire sector digital sales platforms (DSPs) that deal with audio distribution such as Spotify or Apple Music, or videos such as YouTube or Vevo."
