OFFICIAL HANDBOOK / ​SPRING 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION 5

OVERVIEW OF CAT FAMILY 6

Mission Statement 6
Vision Statement 6

FOUNDATIONS 10

STRATEGY & STRUCTURE 10

Our Program Services 11
Departments & Organization 13

MANAGEMENT 15
Job Descriptions 15
Procedures 16
Manage Departments 16
Coordinate Volunteers 17
Community Outreach & Engagement 17

BUDGET, FINANCE, & FUNDRAISING 19

Job Descriptions 19
Procedures 21
Transaction Logs 21
Monthly Budget Summaries 22
Event Assistance and Record-Keeping 22
Quarterly Analysis 23
Structure 24
Future Goals 25

EVENTS & BOOKING 26

Job Descriptions 26
Procedures 29
In-Bound Booking / Local Event Management 29

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 Outbound Booking / National Act Event Management 33

ARTISTS & REPERTOIRE 38

Job Descriptions 39
Procedures 41
Scouting / Selecting Artists 41
Managing Artists 42
Playlisting 46
Submithub 46
Other Spotify Playlists 48
College Radio Stations 50
Licensing 50
Additional Notes 51
Artist/Label Relationships and Resources 52
List of Products and Services Offered 52
Products and Services NOT Offered 54
Expectations for All Signed Artists 55

MUSIC PRODUCTION 56
Getting Involved 56
Spring 2020 Meeting Schedule 57
Job Descriptions 57
Anatomy of a Project 60
Pre-Production 60
Creative Development 61
Guidelines for Maximizing Commercial Success 62
Production 63
Recording Sessions 63
Comping & Editing Sessions 63
Post-Production 64
Operating Procedures: Signed-Artist Projects 65
Documents 66

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 Project Checklist 66
Session Checklist 70
Operation Procedures: Live Sound 71
About Microphones 72
How do Microphones Work? 72
Dynamic Microphones 73
Condenser Microphones 73
How to Prevent Audio Distortion 74
How to Prevent Feedback 75
Microphone Positioning 78
Sweetwater Music EQ Frequency Cheatsheet 80
Acoustic Guitar Recording Techniques 81

MARKETING 84
Job Descriptions 85
Procedures 87
Getting Started 87
Artist Promotion 94
Event Promotion 98
Before an Event 98
During an Event 103
After an Event 104
Tabling 107
Administrative Structure 108
Future Goals 110

ART DEPARTMENT 111

Job Descriptions 112
Procedures 115

WRITING DEPARTMENT 122

Job Descriptions 124
Assigned Tasks & Roles 127

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 Meeting Procedures 129
Online Procedures 133
Other Procedures 135

MERCHANDISING 138
Job Descriptions 138

PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT 139

APPENDIX A: Department Workflow Charts by Program Service 140

APPENDIX B: Cat Family Process Template 142

APPENDIX C: ISO-9001 Process Template 144

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INTRODUCTION
This handbook outlines the philosophy, structure, and day-to-day activity of Cat Family
Records. It is a living document, expanding and contracting as we evolve and grow. In the
opening pages, we introduce who we are, what we do, and why. We then outline each of
our program services and the nine departments, working together, to carry out our
mission.

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OVERVIEW OF CAT FAMILY
Born on the back porch of the Warehouse in late fall of 2015, Cat Family Records is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.1 What began
as a small group of friends trying to host their own shows and record their own music has
since grown to include most facets of the Tallahassee music and art industries. Cat Family
is now made up of nine departments, outlined below, working independently and
collectively to create original music and art, curate original shows and festivals, manage
and promote artists, publish a quarterly zine, and foster community growth and cohesion.
Overall, we exist exclusively to promote art and the people behind it.

Mission Statement
Cat Family Records empowers artists and enriches creative communities by providing
open access to industry services and curating local events, festivals, and publications.

Vision Statement
Written after our second year of operation, “The Catifesto” is an unpublished look at our
own abstract thoughts and how they connect to the broader ideals with which we wish to
connect and cultivate.2 First, we offer a general statement of purpose and more nuanced
perspective on ​why we do what we do. Then, we detail the five foundations for which we
work: art, artists, industry, community, and culture. Although our mission is wide-reaching
and ambitious, it can be summed to the first action item listed above—​empowerment​. All
of the work we do is in service to that idea, rooted in the justifications outlined in the
following pages.

1
We were officially formed February 16, 2016.
2
Send your complaints to Will Crowley: ​wcrow313@gmail.com

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 The Catifesto

In classrooms across America, preteens watch 90s PBS classics, tracing pastel lines with
plastic watercolor sets. They learn contrast. They read haikus and listen to BB King and
Beethoven. Their many works adorn family refrigerators, and parents are proud to show
off their discount masterpieces. Soon, though, those pieces are usurped by report cards.
Kids become students. Students become graduates. Graduates become working
professionals. Aspiring artists become inundated with ideas of financial ruin. At holiday
dinners, family reminds them that art can’t pay the bills. Most artists starve to death. They
just don’t see the point.
Art has become so pervasive and commonplace that people often forget its power.
We listen to music on our morning commutes. We enjoy film on our days off. We’re
surrounded with sound and visual cues designed to elicit emotional responses or make our
lives more meaningful or enriching. We even seek out specific types of expression to fit our
mood, help us recover from trauma, or give us that extra boost of confidence needed to
finish a task or persevere a little longer. Whether or not one accepts it as truth, art ​is deeply
ingrained in all of us. It is inherently emotive, representing the encoded memories of what
it means to be human. We are hardwired to prioritize art and music.
A simplified model of our brains includes two parts—an emotional center, and a
rational center. From birth, each of our experiences and tactile sensations have been
channeled through the emotional centers in our brains first before being sent to our
rational, prefrontal cortices for active reflection and processing. We are primarily driven by
organic machinery beyond our own “control.” While most of us are confident that we hold
dominion over our own gut reactions, in reality, we are just slaves to how we feel.
From an evolutionary perspective, this system works. It allows us to quickly
respond to outside threats without the added burden of deliberation. It does, however,
come with a price. Emotions can lead us to act against our own best self interest. We tend
to focus more on our current selves than our future selves, and we all make heated
mistakes, snap judgements, and biased assumptions. Even as we think we’re changing
people’s minds with passionate arguments or our own self-fulfilling realities, we’re usually
just creating more insulated and polarized friends, families, and news feeds. Given that,
how do we cut through to anyone? How do we cut through to ourselves?
Art is a weapon. It cuts. Impactful ideas are often those that appeal more to emotion
than to reason. As those ideas spread and collect, emotional resonance acts as a strong
catalyst for social progress and the primary mover of opinion formation and change. We
remember the emotionally heavy parts of our pasts, but we forget the details. We may
forget specific conversations, but we remember how people make us feel. This process
points to one of the most important societal functions of art and music. Individual
perspective and expression are potent vehicles for emotional communication—condensed,

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impactful jolts capable of sowing fields for social stability or priming them for political
upheaval or injustice. Movements have soundtracks.
Saturated electric riffs and anti-war lyrics shifted Americans’ view of Vietnam;
coded hymns kindled hope and guided runaway slaves north to freedom; early hip-hop
opened a still-brewing dialogue about institutional racism, and every small-town parade
patron knows the power of a drum line. Yet, we neglect art and music. We buy into ideas
that science or engineering or programming or math are the only careers of the future, the
only pursuits worthy of mass support or a place at society’s adult table. But, art is
quantifiably important. Very real, lasting, tangible power rests with those who present
their own experiences, through visceral media, to an ever-changing audience. Art is the
power to persuade.
Impacted people change lives. They open up, expand, and propagate important
ideas. They shape societal evolution and progress. Rather than addressing art and music as
frivolous, adolescent products and pursuits, we should acknowledge that creatives wield
considerable power and influence over each generation. Social progress draws no dividing
lines between “art” and “science.” Each of our disparate futures are linked. We should
instead foster creative power, not suppress it. We should embrace socio-political growth
and devote resources to the artists and musicians that help shape our futures, not stifle
their productivity.
For most practicing artists, though, the struggle continues. The status quo creates a
sliding scale of success punctuated at each end. Some artists “make it” and become
financially independent. Others are caricatures of the “starving artist” motif, and they still
haven’t “made it.” Artists and musicians typically work full-time jobs alongside their
creative ambitions, and the likelihood of success can be further complicated by financial
barriers unique to the music or art industries.
Recording artists, for example, lean on the coordination of complex processes,
executed precisely and professionally, in order to present their work to the masses. Most
rely on studio engineers, mix engineers, mastering engineers, record executives, producers,
agents, marketing giants, entertainment lawyers, and general managers to help curate,
capture, polish, and promote their content worldwide. For many, this burden rests with the
financial and social depths of their own pockets; it’s an expensive side job. To be as
competitive as possible, some artists self-produce; they learn to record and mix, to market,
and to manage themselves. Most rely on friends and savings to recruit help, to produce and
distribute albums, or to sell work. Currently, there are very few practicing artists earning a
living wage.
Instead of a system of support and growth, the industry standards for art and music
have historically been predatory and exploitative. Visual artists and poets spend student
stipends, if they’re lucky to have them, on materials, submissions, and calls, paying for
exposure. Recording artists take out loans they can’t pay back from record labels that don’t

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support them, dreaming they’ll make it big, paying for exposure. Performers harass their
friends and families, selling their own show tickets just to see a promoter pocket their
money, leaving them with nothing, paying for exposure. Here, at Cat Family Records, we got
really tired of paying for exposure. We’re done with the old machine, and we work every
day to improve the lives of all artists and to push the industry forward.
We don’t promise success on loans; we produce and market for free. We don’t
charge for exposure. We pay artists. If we make hit records or reach “commercial” levels of
success, we share in the windfall, giving much more than we take. From pop-up events and
festivals to production, publication, merchandising, and promotion, we put artists and
community first. We believe that by supporting artists and fostering the tightly bound
communities in which we thrive, we invest in a more open, inclusive, resilient, and unified
future—one where it’s okay to be an artist… just not a starving one.

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FOUNDATIONS
Art. ​We fight for the proliferation of art and music whenever and wherever we can.

Artists. ​We support artists and help them produce and promote themselves in ways
that are both community-conscious and commercially competitive. We work to act
as a springboard and safe haven for developing artists and give them the platforms
and skills necessary for growth and success.

Industry. ​We serve our industry by training working professionals. Our

organization is built by the unrelenting will of passionate volunteers. We are
indebted to those contributions and work to provide opportunity and training
sufficiently independent and advanced enough to aid in professional development
and future career choice.

Community. ​We serve our community by curating shows and events that support
local arts, engage cultural needs, and help other nonprofits raise support and
awareness for their own causes.

Culture. ​We fight for inclusivity, diversity, and solidarity. We are open to criticism
and self-reflection. We will adapt to fit the many needs of the communities in which
we serve and thrive. We will respect and support historically important and
disenfranchised institutions and communities, embracing development when it is
socially and culturally responsible.

STRATEGY & STRUCTURE

In order to achieve the goals outlined above, we developed four general program services,
guided by nine total departments. At the time of this writing, our executive and operational
boards are one and the same, and our executive director and president is the same person.
As we grow and expand, we expect to evolve into a form more familiar to nonprofit
operatives, separating the day-to-day from meta decision-making; but, given our present
resources, we have adapted to what currently works. We are all volunteers. While there are
some opportunities (outlined below) for organizational staff to generate some income, all
label positions are volunteer-based, and none of us are getting paid.

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Our Program Services
In general, we operate four program services, with a fifth in planning stages:

Artist Representation

For artists that we sign, we offer production, management, and promotional services
with no upfront costs to them. As mentioned, a prominent practice in the traditional
music industry is for bands to be given loans for production services or for artists to
pay substantial fees for recording, mixing, and mastering. Meeting industry
standards, especially in terms of music production quality, can be incredibly difficult
and costly, and many talented artists, struggling financially, find it difficult to
present their original work to an outside audience. We think it is important to
connect resources to talent, divorced from financial limitations. As such, we offer
artists as many industry needs as possible. We produce, we help with general
management, and we provide original art, merchandise, photography, promotion,
touring, and booking. Each of the departments outlined below offers resources
typically hidden behind paywalls. Overall, we do as much as we can to elevate all
artists to be as commercially competitive and socially viable as possible.

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Event Curation

We use our reach to promote socially responsible organizations and activities, and
we encourage transparent and fair practices in the local music and arts industries.
When we first began, many promoters, as mentioned above, were predatory in that
they strong-armed artists into selling tickets and promoting their shows without
actually sharing in any financial compensation from those street-level efforts. Over
the last four years, we have hosted more than 150 events. Artists are always paid at
least 80% of the total door money. As an organization, we only take 20% of a show’s
earnings, and we heavily invest our own resources into promotion. We also curate
events to directly benefit other nonprofits in our local communities, and we host a
festival, once a year, to pair local music and art with pet adoption. Cat Fest is now in
its fifth year and has grown to be one of the largest pet adoption events and local
music festivals in Tallahassee, averaging around 40-50 cat adoptions and 70-80
musical performances every year. We also host Pop-T.ART events, coinciding with
the release of our quarterly zine, ​T.ART​. We use them to showcase and combine local
art and music, and we never charge for submissions or calls. We also compensate
visual artists and poets for displaying their works.

T.ART
T.ART is ​Tallahassee Art and Culture​. It is our quarterly, student-run publication and
zine featuring local, original art and institutions. Many developers have opted to
copy and paste creative works and styles from other cities, ignoring art and culture
that is uniquely forged by the residents of Tallahassee and the surrounding areas. In
T.ART,​ we approach that topic head-on by first identifying it then offering our own
community solutions and exclusive coverage of art and artists from the city writ
large. In it, we try to be as representative and inclusive as possible, introducing a
general Tallahassee audience to a wide, expansive view of local creative
communities. While we currently charge for physical copies in order to cover
printing and manufacturing costs, we are working towards advertisement revenue,
and the content is always freely accessible online.

Professional and Career Development

For all of our program services, we employ a mostly student-run team of interns and
volunteers. Currently, including management, we are all volunteers. As outlined
below, we are also an organization largely governed by the ebb and flow of
university scheduling. Several of our department heads and volunteers are
Tallahassee-based university students from Florida State University, Florida A&M
University, and Tallahassee Community College. We give students and young people
real opportunities to lead departments, make managerial decisions, and get
involved in grassroots community engagement and industry research and growth.

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 Several of our volunteers have gone on to work other industry jobs, earning
placements at recording studios and music organizations across the United States.
We will always treat volunteers fairly, teach them what we do know, and give them
real, hands-on, experiences sufficient enough to educate and instruct them beyond
conventional, classroom development. We also offer several free DIY resources on
our website, including this handbook, lists of industry contacts, and articles and
guides written to help independent musicians excel and succeed.

In the future, we also plan to add a fifth program service, ​income-based rates​, for
unsigned artists. We are currently limited in our capacity to help curate local talent. But, as
we grow, we hope to add:
Subsidized music production for unsigned artists,
Subsidized merchandising, &
Subsidized equipment & venue rental.

Departments & Organization

Our executive board, according to our founding documents, is made up of three members:
President: Scott Bell
Vice President: Nick Bell
Vice President: Logan McKnight

In practice, our department heads also serve, functionally, as acting board members. We
are very much a democracy. We meet every Monday night at 7:00 pm at our studio location
on West Tennessee Street, and we make decisions collectively. When those decisions rely
on more than just the already-agreed-upon, day-to-day organization of departments and
their daily, operational tasks, we vote. When people are directly involved in those decisions
or any conflicts of interest are present, those people abstain from the voting process. We
try to be as fair and objective as possible, keeping in step with our overall community
objectives and responsibilities. Our departments are organized to faithfully carry out the
missions outlined above as well as to adapt to the changing needs of our organization and
the community in general.

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Our current departments and their leaders are:

CFR LEADERSHIP
Management Director Scott Bell
Vol. Coordinator Cierra Robinson
Finance & Fundraising Director Will Crowley
Events & Booking Director Nick Bell
Artists & Repertoire Director Gabriel Cintra
Music Production Director Nic Dabby
Executive Producer Logan McKnight
Marketing Director Cierra Robinson
Writing Director Emily Purvis
Chief Editor Alaina Manning
Art Director April Cluess
Merchandising Director OPEN

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MANAGEMENT
1st Edition by Scott Bell, January 2020

The Management Department is made up of the Executive Director and their assistants.
Overall, all responsibilities fall to this department and to upper leadership in general. The
department is tasked with connecting board directives to all organizational capabilities,
and it must guarantee that each department and the organization as a whole faithfully
executes both the will of the board and the will of the community in which the organization
is embedded.

WEEKLY MEETINGS →​ ​MONDAY @ 7 PM​ ​→​ ​CFR STUDIOS

Job Descriptions
Executive Director3

Responsibilities​: Manage all nine departments. Connect collective decisions to the

day-to-day operation of Cat Family Records. Organize and direct all departments to
follow the guidelines established in the Cat Family Handbook and ensure that they
are timely, on task, and faithfully executing all program services.

Requirements:​ Four years of experience working in the Tallahassee music and art
industries. Must be able to demonstrate adaptive leadership qualities and an
expansive knowledge of Tallahassee art, music, and culture. Must be diplomatic and
engaged in community outreach and inclusion. Must be driven to elevate all aspects
of community art and culture. Must be willing to faithfully execute democratic
directives.

Volunteer Coordinator

Responsibilities​: Assist Executive Director and other department heads to

coordinate new and continuing volunteers. Maintain tracking of street team
requirements and send reminders to interns and volunteers to ensure accurate

3
At present, all positions are volunteer-based unless otherwise noted.

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 documentation of hours and other relevant credits. Monitor Event Volunteer sign up
sheet and send notifications to confirm intended attendance. Also emulate
organizational values and encourage volunteer retention.

Requirements:​ At least one year experience working with Cat Family preferred.
Assistants to this position can be filled by a volunteer under the guidance of a
department head, otherwise at least one year in a leadership position is preferred.
Must demonstrate consistent and reliable communication with department heads
and volunteers.

Assistant to the Executive Director

Responsibilities​: Assist the Executive Director in fulfilling their responsibilities

(where most needed). Attend all requested meetings and sometimes oversee when
the Executive Director is unable. Take, manage, and share notes for each of the
aforementioned meetings. Manage weekly agenda. Help the Executive Director
reach out, once a week, to each department for updates and requests. Help manage
relationships between department heads.

Requirements:​ No specific time requirements. Must be self-motivated and

hard-working. Must have a general knowledge of Cat Family structure and be willing
and able to learn. Must be able to communicate effectively.

Procedures
Manage Departments
The Executive Director (ED) is ultimately responsible for managing and overseeing each
department.
1. Direct all departments. Do so in line with board and community directives
2. Manage overall organizational timeline
3. Oversee weekly department head meetings and facilitate democratic norms
4. Oversee bi-weekly meetings with each department head to assess and assist with
department-specific progress
5. Attend individual department meetings at least once a month to monitor and assist
with department-specific progress
6. Address the needs of each department outlined below, as they arise, in order of
urgency

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 7. Keep all institutional materials current, sufficiently advanced, easy to understand,
and concise
8. Keep the organization itself current and on task with project deadlines,
organizational consistency, community values, and overall sustainability and
evolution
9. Oversee internal and external research, surveys, audits, and program analyses for
each department and the organization as a whole

Coordinate Volunteers
1. The Volunteer Coordinator is ultimately responsible for all volunteer ​Scheduling
2. The VC is also responsible for all ​Hours Tracking​ and ​Street Team Tracking

Work with volunteers and Assistant Volunteer Coordinator to ensure that required
street team activities (chalking, tabling, posting flyers, etc.) are being completed as
scheduled.

Contact​ volunteers day-of shifts to ensure completion of tasks on ​sign up sheet

In cases of inactivity for interns obtaining university credit (i.e., street team
requirements are not met, consistently missing workshops/meetings, not fulfilling
hourly agreements, and/ or intern commitments are not seen through):

1. First point of warning will be through email and text to solidify

that interns are aware of deficiencies and requirements.
2. Second point of warning will be direct contact through a call to
confirm.
3. Third point of warning, interns will need to meet with the
Executive Director. This is the last step before termination.

Street Team Links:

Volunteer Sign Up
Bills to Post
Chalking

Community Outreach & Engagement

Connect with other groups, people, and organizations in and around the city. That
includes politicians, other nonprofits, community leaders, venues, businesses, and
other groups. Attend other community events. Maintain relationships with partner
organizations and work on building lasting partnerships with other community
organizations.

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Partner organizations currently include:

FSU School of Music The Square Mug

FSU School of Entrepreneurship Railroad Square Art Park
FSU Career Development Center Garages on Gaines
Club Downunder / Union Productions Black Cats & Old Dogs Animal Rescue
V89 Fat Cat Cafe
COCA Moose Magnificat
Tasicon Tallahassee Family Magazine
621 Gallery Alcom Media
The Wilbury Lisa’s Accountant
Midtown Reader Florida Management Associates
Gaines Street / Gaines Street Fest Anthony Phoenix Branca Foundation
Cowhaus Productions Ryry’s Kitchen
The Crumbox Gastgarden INIE
The Other Side Vintage Rarestone Records
Olde Fields Clothing Company Indianhead Factory

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BUDGET, FINANCE, & FUNDRAISING
1st Edition by Will Crowley, January 2020

One of the many unique aspects of Cat Family Records is our financial structure. Unlike
most other record labels, we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contrary to popular
belief, a nonprofit is not actually prohibited from generating a profit. Rather, it means that
any excess revenues must be reinvested into the operations of the organization instead of
being distributed to shareholders. This is an unusual model for our industry, but it gives us
certain advantages that align with our goals of promoting the local art scene in Tallahassee.
For example, it makes us eligible for grants offered by both public and private
organizations, and it exempts us from corporate income tax. At the same time, the
nonprofit designation comes with some important responsibilities. For example, our
financial information is required to be publicly reported to ensure transparency, and we
are prohibited from endorsing candidates for public office.

The Budget & Finance team is ultimately responsible for the accounting of all dollars
coming into and going out of the organization. While it may not be immediately obvious,
the work of this team is essential to both our day-to-day operations and our long-term
viability. For this reason, it is important that those involved in this work be well-organized,
detail-oriented, and able to think in terms of the bigger picture. The Budget & Finance
team includes three main subgroups: budget assistants, merchandise assistants, and
fundraising assistants. Each of these groups has a number of key responsibilities that are
outlined below.

Job Descriptions
Director of Budget & Finance

Responsibilities​: ​Weekly​: Attend Directors’ meetings and team meetings to discuss

current and upcoming projects. Make necessary purchases. Deposit cash. ​Monthly​:
Volunteer for at least two street team events. Review budget summary for accuracy.
Quarterly​: Review royalty data for accuracy. Review presentation. Complete
necessary internship evaluations. ​Semesterly​: Recruit interns and volunteers.
Annually​: Complete and submit IRS Form 990. Complete and submit Certification to
Solicit Donations from Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Coordinate the annual report.

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 Requirements:​ At least one year of experience working with Cat Family Records.
Prior work experience or coursework related to budget & finance. Prior experience
with grant applications. Bachelor’s degree related to budget & finance preferred, but
not required. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to work
independently and as a team. Ability to interact professionally with local business
leaders.

Budget Assistant

Responsibilities​: ​Weekly​: Attend team meetings to discuss current & upcoming

projects. Collect and organize transaction data from Event Sales Records and from
Venmo, Square, or other POS applications. ​Monthly​: Volunteer for at least two
events. Use the data collected weekly to create a monthly budget summary.
Quarterly​: Download and organize music distribution data to calculate royalties
owed to each artist. Summarize and present financial data at Directors Meeting.
Annually​: Volunteer at Cat Fest. Develop an annual report which presents financial
data and program service information. Prepare IRS Form 990.

Requirements:​ Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel. Prior work experience or

coursework in budget & finance. Strong analytical writing skills. Ability to work both
independently and with a team. Business majors or similar preferred but not
required.

Fundraising Assistant

Responsibilities​: ​Weekly​: Attend team meetings to discuss current & upcoming

projects. Ensure that sponsor materials are correct before each event. ​Monthly​:
Volunteer for at least two events. Create a summary of donations listed by source.
Communicate with existing sponsors and seek out new ones. ​Quarterly​: Identify
grant opportunities, develop timelines for completing application materials.
Annually​: Develop Cat Fest Fundraising & Sponsorship Materials. Contact local
business owners about Cat Fest sponsorships. Develop and maintain detailed
spreadsheets of Cat Fest pledges, ensuring that all money is collected and that
sponsors receive their perks. Prepare Certification to Solicit Donations from Florida
Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Volunteer at Cat Fest.

Requirements:​ Prior work or volunteer experience with fundraising. Strong verbal

and written communication skills. Basic competency with Microsoft Excel. Ability to
work professionally with local business owners.

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Procedures
Transaction Logs
1. Every Sunday, the budget director will download transaction data from Cat Family’s
bank account and the payment apps covering the prior seven days and save them in
the Transaction Data folder (​located here​).

2. By 5pm the next day, budget assistants will work together to use the data to update
the Transaction Log (​located here​).

For each transaction, first identify the transaction type. If the amount is
negative, it is an expense, and if the amount is positive, it is a revenue.

Use the description to identify categories for each transaction:

Revenues Donations (listed by source). Identify whether cash or in-kind

Door sales (listed by venue, before band payout)
Merchandise sales
Concession sales
​Studio fees (listed by producer)

Equipment Rental
Royalties
Other (listed by item)

Expenses Occupancy (Rent, Utilities, Internet)

Business services (Insurance, Legal, etc.)
Fees (IRS, Bank, Event Registration, etc.)
Marketing (listed by medium)
Equipment (things expected to last for 1 year or longer)
Merchandise
Studio
Stage
Concessions
Art
Band payout (listed by individual artist)
Artist/designer payout (listed by individual artist)
Royalties (listed by artist)
Other (listed by item)

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 The bank data will not have very detailed descriptions and often combines
Venmo and Square transactions into arbitrary lump sums. The Venmo and
Square data should have more useful descriptions, but since we rely on the
customers to provide the descriptions themselves, the purpose of a given
transaction might not always be very clear.

If you cannot immediately categorize a transaction, highlight it and move on

to the rest of the transactions. After you have completed the easily
categorized transactions, reach out to the relevant department heads (​see
contact list here​) to try and determine the purpose of the remaining
transactions. Event summary sheets may also be useful to identify
transactions for door sales, concession sales, and merchandise sales. If you
have any transactions that cannot be identified using these methods, consult
the budget director.

Monthly Budget Summaries

1. By the first Sunday of each month, budget assistants will be responsible for
summarizing all transactions from the prior month into a single table stored in the
Monthly Budget Summary folder (​located here​).

Use Excel to find a total for each category listed above.

Using prior summaries as a guide, create a new table that lists the total for
each category of revenues and expenses.

2. In a different tab in the same file, create an asset/liability table that includes:

Starting/ending cash balance in both Cat Family Savings and Cat Fest Savings

Accounts payable (money that we owe to people for products or services we

have already received)

Accounts receivable (money that we are owed from others for products or
services we have already delivered)

Event Assistance and Record-Keeping

1. Arrive at the venue by band load-in time to help set up tables. For house shows, this
will include merchandise, concessions, and admissions tables. For formal shows,
only set up a merchandise table.

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 2. Use the tally sheets (located here) to keep track of sales. Be sure to identify whether
a sale is made with cash, card, or venmo.

When a customer uses venmo, make sure that they include a description of
the item they are buying. Also be sure to visually confirm the transaction on
their phone.

Use the Square app to log all cash and card transactions. Duplicate counts
help ensure accuracy.

3. House shows — After the last band begins their set, stop collecting door payments
and bring the cash box into the back room with a partner to calculate total door
sales

First count all cash. Double count to ensure accuracy.

Identify how much cash was used as a bank, and make sure to subtract that
amount from the final total.

Verify that the tally sheet matches the cash total.

Login to Venmo and view all transactions for the event. Count the number of
payments for entry, and verify that it matches the tally sheet.

Repeat the previous step for Square. Cash payments are indicated by a small
dollar bill symbol, while card payments are indicated by the credit card logo.

Use the subtotals for cash, card, and venmo payments to identify the total
door revenue. ​DON’T RUSH​! If you are unsure about the calculation, double
and triple check until you are comfortable that it is 100% correct.

When you have the door total complete, work with the Events manager to
calculate payout for performers.

Record all this information in the transaction log.

Quarterly Analysis
1. By the second Monday of each quarter, assistants will be responsible for creating
and presenting a fiscal analysis.

Q1 = Jan-Mar
Q2 = Apr-Jun
Q3 = July-Sept

23
 Q4 = Oct-Dec

2. First, use monthly budget summaries to find a three-month total and average for
each revenue and expense category.

3. Then, use the information to complete key ratio analyses:

Operating reserve ratio = Net assets / Annual Expenses

This metric indicates how long an entity can continue its operations
without bringing in any revenues. Our goal is to maintain an operating
reserve ratio of 25%, which is equivalent to three months’ worth of
expenses

Program expense ratio = Total program expenses / Total expenses

This metric indicates how much of each dollar in total expenses are
directly related to program services. Our goal is to maintain a
program expense ratio of 85%

Profit margin ratio = Change in net assets / Total Revenue

This metric indicates whether the organization is spending more or

less money than it is spending. While it is not necessarily a problem to
lose money in a single quarter, our goal is to at least break even by
year’s end.

4. Ensure that both documents are clear and accurate.

5. Prepare a 5-10 minute presentation for the Board, and be ready to answer
questions. If you don’t know the answer, it’s perfectly acceptable to say so! Just say
that you will find out the answer as soon as possible, and get back with them when
you can.

Structure
The structure of the Budget & Finance Team is simple. Information flows from the Dept.
Heads, through the Budget Director, and to the Budget Team. Weekly meetings, typically
lasting no more than an hour, will be the venue for reviewing progress on previously
assigned tasks, and for assigning new ones. The Budget Team will be responsible for
coordinating with each other to ensure that tasks are completed on time. Preferably, the

24
Budget Team will meet together outside of official meeting times to work on assignments
together, though remote work is perfectly acceptable so long as each member is pulling
their weight. Currently, most team communication occurs via Facebook Messenger, though
a more professional communication app, like Slack, is desired. Google Drive is the main tool
by which important documents will be transferred between the Budget Director and the
Budget Team.

​Department Heads Budget Director ​ Budget Team

Future Goals
In order to better serve the organization, there are a number of important goals that our
team should work toward:
1. Building a “rainy-day fund” equal to three months of operating expenses.
2. Working with the Writing Team and Art Team to produce an engaging, informative,
and professional annual report, which includes financial data, artist and volunteer
profiles, testimonials, etc.
3. Recruiting an exceptional Budget Team member to serve as Deputy Budget Director,
with specific responsibilities to be determined.
4. Developing a comprehensive inventory database of every piece of equipment and
supplies owned by the organization, with estimated value and expected life span.

25
EVENTS & BOOKING
1st Edition by Nick Bell & Scott Bell, January 2020

The Problem: ​Traditional promoters, booking agents, venues, and galleries are often
driven primarily by generating profit, and they can be predatory, feeding off of
up-and-coming artists and paying them very little (if at all). That system ultimately turns
people away from pursuing art or music as legitimate careers.

The Mission: ​Provide safe and lucrative spaces for local artists to show and prosper off
their respective works.

Cat Family curates events from an “artist first” foundation, and we do everything in our
power to ensure that artists are seen, heard, respected, and compensated. We take a fixed,
minimal amount (20%) from door sales to cover our expenses, and everything else goes
back to the artist(s). We also work to provide a space that is conducive to creativity and
freedom. No matter the medium an artist chooses, we want to constantly and consistently
work to build a space and seek to create a community that both uplifts and empowers each
member to break from the ordinary. In doing so, we are also uniquely positioned to provide
students experiences with working behind the scenes at concerts, art installations,
community outreach events, music festivals, and much more. Seldom will you have the
opportunity to step in and get this much hands-on experience and education with any
aspect of the music or art industries! This is a department where you get out what you put
in, but there is always a need for any level of involvement. Let’s book some shows!

Job Descriptions
Event Director

Responsibilities​: Curate local events that represent Cat Family Records’ vision and
complete our departments’ mission. Manage all volunteers and/or interns while
providing education and resources at any opportunity. Manage all events presented
by Cat Family Records. Greet bands/artists/performers. Be an available resource at
all events. Delegate any and all tasks deemed necessary for the fulfillment of our
mission. Represent the Events Department at weekly department head meetings. Be
involved and visible in the Tallahassee art and music scene.

26
 Requirements:​ One year of experience working in the Cat Family Records Events
Department. At least two years of experience in customer service, live production,
event management, or a related field. Must be able to demonstrate the ability to lead
and show an above-average ability to critically think and “act on your feet.”

Assistant Event Director

Responsibilities​: Assist the Director in any and all tasks deemed necessary to
complete our departments’ mission. Provide “customer service” at all events
presented by Cat Family Records. Act as a liaison to bands/performers/artists.
Manage the event Calendar. Manage volunteers and/or interns.

Requirements:​ One year of experience working in the Cat Family Records Events
Department. At least two years of experience in customer service, live production,
event management, or a related field. Must be able to demonstrate the ability to lead
and show an above-average ability to critically think and “act on your feet.”

Live Production Manager

Responsibilities​: Oversee all live production at any and all Cat Family Records
events. Oversee all setup and tear down of events. Delegate tasks as necessary, but
lead through action. Transport all equipment to and from event space. Oversee any
necessary clean up. Maintain an active inventory of any equipment used. Oversee
volunteers and/or interns, and report directly to the Assistant Event Director.

Requirements:​ Six months of experience working in the Events Department.

Live Sound Engineer

Responsibilities​: Provide all live sound engineering for any and all necessary Cat
Family Records events. Provide set up and tear down of any and all sound
equipment needed for all applicable events. Oversee any assistants/volunteers
needed to perform duties as Live Sound Engineer. Assist the Live Production
Manager in maintaining an active inventory of any and all sound equipment. Report
directly to the Live Production Manager

27
 Requirements:​ Six months of experience working in the Events Department. At
least two years of experience with live sound mixing in any setting. In-depth
knowledge of the Cat Family PA.

Art Curator

Responsibilities​: Curate local art/artists for Cat Family events. Maintain an active
presence in the local art scene.

Requirements:​ Six months of experience working in the Events or Art Department.

At least two years of relative experience.

Live Music Curator

Responsibilities​: Curate local bands/music performers for Cat Family Records

events. Maintain an active presence in the local music scene.

Requirements:​ At least 6 months experience working with Cat Family Records in

any capacity. At least 2 years of relevant experience.

Social Media Supervisor

Responsibilities​: Complete the weekly Social Media Checklist. Work with the
Assistant Event Director to adjust the Social Media Checklist as needed.

Requirements:​ At least six months of social media marketing experience.

Live Production Assistant

Responsibilities​: Assist the Live Production Director in any and all tasks deemed
necessary for the execution of our department’s mission. Assist the Live Sound
Engineer in any and all necessary tasks. Oversee and assist all performers and
artists.

Requirements:​ At least 3 months working for Cat Family Records in any capacity.

28
Procedures
In-Bound Booking / Local Event Management
1. Check email, facebook messenger, instagram, and website forms daily.

2. As booking requests come in, first check and verify our calendar of events (and
other major events happening in Tallahassee that might compete with the requested
date). If nothing is available, respond and let them know.

3. Do your research!
● Does the date work?
● Are they a touring band or local?
● What is their draw, and what support would they need?
● Check out the band. Check their Spotify streams, genre/style, etc.
● Are they appropriate for the venue requested? If not, send them to the
appropriate channels.
● If so, do you like the music?
● Are they active on social media?
● Do they have a following?
● Can we build a show around them, or will they fit into a show that we
already have booked? If so, HOLD THE DATE AND CONFIRM WITH
THE VENUE!

4. Make an official offer. ​OFFER TEMPLATE

5. Build the show.

● Confirm with acts
● Avoid flat rate guarantees at all costs. We try to offer percentage of the
door deals, even to the mid-range touring bands
● Ideally, book at least one Cat Family act per show
● Book at least one local act with a draw
● Book an opener (can be flexible)
● Show Structure: The triforce→ TOURING ACT / LOCAL BAND WITH
DRAW / OPENER
● Try to book 4 acts for both the Wilbury and The LitterBox

6. Send out our ​CONTRACT ​and get bands to electronically sign them.

29
7. Create an event page.
FACEBOOK TEMPLATE
CFR Presents:
● Title of show
● Description (not necessarily warranted for smaller, music-only
shows). Special events should, however, be described.
● List bands (in reverse order of appearance)
○ Headlining band — music, spotify, videos, etc.
○ Other bands
● Door time, start time (door is usually 8pm, start time is 9pm, and end
time is 11:59 pm)
● Cost for 21+, cost for 18-21
● Other miscellaneous information
● Throw in hashtags — #localmusic, #indiemusic, #art, #whatever (use
your own discretion and experiment with appropriate hashtags)

Cover photo:
● For a standard show, visit the headliner’s social media and pick a
photo that features the band and works as a Facebook cover photo.
Use your own discretion. You can also sometimes use a music video if
available.
● Replace with cover art if/when it is received. All specialized shows
MUST HAVE cover art.

8. Update all relevant calendars and notify all relevant departments.

ART: request event flyer and cover photo
MARKETING: request scheduled posts and timeline of marketing and street
team plans.
Update songkick and email V89 concert updates. Send other press releases if
relevant. For events NOT booked at the LitterBox, also send show details to
Tallahassee Democrat (Katie - limelight), and COCA’s website.

9. Promote!
Share the event page, invite your friends, and remind all relevant team and
department members to help get out the word!

30
10. One to two weeks until the show date, touch base with acts:
Email stage plots and input lists

Email all show details (most of these are found in the initial contract):
● Remind them about load-in time (typically one hour or so
before door time).
● Parking
● Drink / food tickets
● Set time
● Performance order
● Anything else

Email / contact sound production

● Touch base
● Send stage plots once confirmed with band
● Send itinerary
STAGE PLOT TEMPLATE

11. Day of show:

Be at the venue at least by load-in time to welcome bands. A Cat Family
representative should be the first person any touring or local band meets
when arriving at the venue.
Show bands where to:
● Store equipment
● Find armbands
● Find bathrooms
● Find food

After the briefing, help them troubleshoot problems

31
 Help volunteers set up for the show. These responsibilities differ based on
venue. For The Wilbury, help set up the banner and merch table. For The
LitterBox, help set up tables, decorate, set up sound, lighting, and anything
else that might need additional attention. You are the #1 point of contact.
Make yourself constantly seen and available.

12. Enjoy the show!

Watch every band
Be encouraging and supportive
Communicate with bands and sound engineers to make sure that the show is
on time and going smoothly

13. PAYOUT
AFTER the final band finishes their set, approach whoever was responsible
for collecting door money. First, help to verify the count. Do simple math.
Count armbands, money coming in, etc. Confirm, confirm, confirm!
Once you’re totally satisfied that the count is 100% accurate, grab 5
envelopes: 1 for Cat Family, and 4 for the bands (obviously less if fewer than
4 acts perform).
If at Wilbury, take a picture of their report.
PAYOUT STRUCTURE [INSERT PAYOUT TEMPLATE HERE]
Pay touring bands as soon as possible. Many of them rely on night-of money
to get to their next stop. Pay touring acts cash or venmo (venmo preferred).
Pay local bands venmo or check (check preferred).
Give cash to Will or Scott if they’re available. If not, hold it and deposit it
yourself or hand off to Will or Scott (or whoever is assigned by Will or Scott).
Anyone can deposit money into our account. $$$

14. UPDATE TRANSACTION LOG

Do this the night of while everything is fresh! NO EXCEPTIONS! Drinking at
the event is ok, but you should not be intoxicated. You are the last line of
defense. Make sure you are fully capable of the requisite math and social
interaction after the show wraps up.

15. Post-Show Promotion:

32
 The next day, touch base with all performers and bands. Thank them. Be
supportive, and ask for feedback.
Get up with the Art Department. Pull in all videos and photos. Make sure
bands have access to photos and videos.
Make sure the Marketing Department posts appropriate recap and tags.
Check show survey numbers
Debrief with other departments about what went well, how accurate our
attendance prediction was, things to learn and improve on, etc.

Outbound Booking / National Act Event Management

While these events are more rare for us, they can be some of the most rewarding. Great
care and attention should be paid to everything we do but especially for events like these.
Make sure you do your research and never neglect promotion (no matter how big the act
may be).

1. Find an act
What we look for in a touring act (National) is an empty space in their tour
schedule that takes place while they are generally close to Tallahassee.
Check regional venue schedules (at least 2-3 months out)
Use songkick.com to research tour schedules (In certain situations we
are also able to reach out to an act that may not be on tour. But, due to
increased travel expenses, we try to avoid this route.)

2. Do your research!
Does the date work?
What is their draw, and what support would they need?
Check out the band. Check their Spotify streams, genre/style, etc.
Are they appropriate for the available venue(s)?
Have they said/done anything that we would view as detrimental to the
safety and environment of our events?
Are they active on social media?
Can we build a show around them, or will they fit into a show that we already
have booked?
How much will it cost? (Guarantee, venue rental, sound, ticket fees, lodging,
etc.)

3. Build the show

33
 We use these shows as not only an advertisement opportunity for Cat Family
but, we also use these events as opportunities for signed artists to perform
alongside national touring acts.
**Sometimes contractual restrictions will not allow for local openers. These
restrictions are to ALWAYS be avoided.**
Find a local/Cat Family band for “Support” (The band that plays directly
before the headliner). Get this confirmed before you find an opener
Find an “Opener” (The first act to perform for a show). This can be where you
give someone an opportunity that would not normally get it:
New Cat Family bands
New Local bands
A favor we may owe someone.. :D
Show Structure:
The triforce→​ TOURING ACT / LOCAL BAND WITH DRAW / OPENER
Try to book 4 acts for both the Wilbury and The LitterBox

4. Get it Approved
Any show that isn’t a $5 cover and/or any show that requires a guarantee
will need to be approved by all appropriate channels.
Cat Family and the requested venue are the minimum approvals required.
They must approve the act and any financial responsibility

5. Make an Offer
(Offer Template)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12GG6P-CJEToh2Vbama2XpMXHylbI-
Bq9CA_ehK27de0/edit
(If the initial is not accepted and/or there are revisions/additions then the
offer must be reapproved before sending.)

6. Confirm/Request Details
Confirm all offer details and make relevant changes
Once confirmed you must request the following:
Tour Artwork
Band press kit (pictures, videos, bios, etc)
Stage plots/Input lists
Anything the act will need for the show

7. Send out our ​CONTRACT​ and get ALL bands to electronically sign them.

34
8. Create an event page.
[INSERT EVENT PAGE TEMPLATE]
CFR Presents:
Title of show (Headliner band name w/ support)
Description (This can be found on the acts website or social media,
but this should be requested from the act once the show is confirmed
List bands (in reverse order of appearance)
1. Headlining band — music, videos, etc.
2. Other bands — music, videos, etc.
Door time, start time (door is usually 8pm, start time is 9pm, and end
time is 11:59 pm)
Cost for PreSale, Cost for 21+, cost for 18-21,
Other miscellaneous information
Cover photo:
For the initial post we can use whatever pictures/videos are sent to us by the
act (this is to be requested once confirmed).
Once the event flyer/artwork is completed we will change the event banner
to the show art.

9. Update all relevant calendars and notify all relevant departments.

ART: request event flyer and cover photo
MARKETING: request scheduled posts and timeline of marketing and street
team plans.
Update songkick and email V89 concert updates. Send other press releases if
relevant. For events NOT booked at the LitterBox, also send show details to
Tallahassee Democrat (Katie - limelight), and COCA’s website.

10. Promote!
Share the event page, invite your friends, and remind all relevant team and
department members to help get out the word!

11. One to two weeks until the show date, touch base with relevant parties
Contact acts to make sure everything is still good to go
Email all show details (most of these are found in the initial contract):

35
 Remind them about load-in time (typically one hour or so
before door time).
Parking
Drink / food tickets
Set time
Performance order
Anything else

Send itinerary: ​ITINERARY TEMPLATE

Contact the sound company
Email stage plots and input lists [INSERT STAGE PLOT HERE]
Send itinerary
12. Day of show:
Be at the venue at least 30 minutes before load-in time to welcome bands. A
Cat Family representative should be the first person any touring or local
band meets when arriving at the venue.
Show bands where to:
Store equipment
Find armbands
Find bathrooms
Food
Introduce acts to the sound engineer and get ready for sound check.
After the briefing, help them troubleshoot problems
Help volunteers set up for the show. These responsibilities differ based on
venue. For The Wilbury, help set up the banner and merch table. For The
LitterBox, help set up tables, decorate, set up sound, lighting, and anything
else that might need additional attention. You are the #1 point of contact.
Make yourself constantly seen and available.
13. Enjoy the show!
Watch every band
Be encouraging and supportive
Communicate with bands and sound engineers to make sure that the show is
on time and going smoothly

14. PAYOUT

36
 AFTER the final band finishes their set, approach whoever was responsible
for collecting door money. First, help to verify the count. Do simple math.
Count armbands, money coming in, etc. Confirm, confirm, confirm! (Make
sure all numbers from presale tickets are accurate and accounted for)
Once you’re totally satisfied that the count is 100% accurate, grab 5
envelopes: 1 for Cat Family, and 4 for the bands (obviously less if fewer than
4 acts perform).
If at the Wilbury, take a picture of their report.
PAYOUT STRUCTURE [INSERT PAYOUT TEMPLATE HERE]
Pay touring bands as soon as possible. Many of them rely on night-of money
to get to their next stop. Pay touring acts cash or venmo (venmo preferred).
Pay local bands venmo or check (check preferred).
Give cash to Will or Scott if they’re available. If not, hold it and deposit it
yourself or hand off to Will or Scott (or whoever is assigned by Will or Scott).
Anyone can deposit money into our account. $$$

15. UPDATE TRANSACTION LOG

Do this the night of while everything is fresh! NO EXCEPTIONS! Drinking at
the event is ok, but you should not be intoxicated. You are the last line of
defense. Make sure you are fully capable of the requisite math and social
interaction after the show wraps up.

16. Post-Show Promotion:

The next day, touch base with all performers and bands. Thank them. Be
supportive, and ask for feedback.
Get up with the Art Department. Pull in all videos and photos. Make sure
bands have access to photos and videos.
Make sure the Marketing Department posts appropriate recap and tags.
Check show survey numbers
Debrief with other departments about what went well, how accurate our
attendance prediction was, things to learn and improve on, etc.

37
ARTISTS & REPERTOIRE
1st Edition by Scott Bell, Anna Griffith, & Gabriel Cintra, January 2020

A&R stands for Artists and Repertoire. This department is arguably the most important
division of a record label and is responsible for finding talent and managing the artistic and
commercial development for each of our recording artists. It is also the main channel of
communication between the artist and label, label and artist.

Traditionally, A&R played a much more specific role in the music industry. Before the
digital era of streaming and the unlimited power of internet outreach, A&R reps were
solely responsible for discovering talent and providing them a creative outlet. Currently,
A&R must play many different roles. The modern A&R department is not only required to
establish a solid line of communication between the label and the artist but also manage
the artist’s music (live and studio production), development, publishing, and promotion of
new releases.

Main Objectives:

Find talent

Establish clear lines of communication

Oversee the production process

Oversee and assist with marketing and promotion

Consistently seek positive, linear artist development

Manage artists and their timelines

Office Hours / Weekly Meetings:

The A&R Department meets every week at an agreed upon time and place. Volunteers are
expected to dedicate a minimum of ​5 hours​ each week to their Cat Family duties.

WEEKLY MEETING TIME & PLACE​: FRIDAY, ALL SAINTS, 4:30 PM

38
A&R will have ​1 ​weekly meeting​, reserved for Artist Representatives, A&R Director, and
Assistant Director to discuss timelines, artists, and their needs. The A&R department will
also host ​weekly office hours​, reserved for other volunteers and Representatives to send
out emails, promote and submit to blogs, radio stations, playlists, reaching out to music
“influencers” and/ or researching new, better ways of promoting music in the current
music market. These meetings/ office hours will last around 2 hours and will usually take
place together.

A&R volunteers ​will also be responsible for helping with the ​Marketing Department​. That
includes attending weekly Marketing workshops ​(2 hours) ​and creating social media posts
for the artists they’re working with. If there are no posts to be created, should use that time
to promote Cat Family releases and/or research new, better ways of promoting music in the
current music market.

Marketing volunteers ​will be assigned Cat Family artists with the purpose of creating
weekly posts for shows, recording sessions, interviews, new merch, press mentions,
publications, and other general announcements. Volunteers involved with the​A&R
Department should attend weekly A&R office hours ​(2 hours)​, designated for submitting
Cat Family releases to blogs, radio stations, and playlists and/ or researching new, better
ways of promoting music in the current music market​. If no promotion is needed or finished,
this time will be reserved for marketing interns to focus on social media posts, development of
album release marketing plan materials for assigned artists, and other tasks.

Job Descriptions
A&R Director

Responsibilities​: Managing reps and their pre-established artist timelines.

Effectively delegating tasks and scheduling shifts to A&R assistant director. Meeting
with artists and their reps. Scheduling weekly meetings with all A&R reps. Making
sure reps are communicating with their artists. Communicating with CFR director
all updates and changes made to the department. Making sure all new releases are
promoted to the company standard. Keeping all interns and volunteers informed
and aware of their roles. Making sure artists are satisfied with their rep and agreed
upon resources CFR offered upon signing. Determining whether signed artists are
fulfilling label pre-established requirements. Verifying that inter-department
communication channels are being used.

39
 Requirements:​ General knowledge and understanding of the operation of the music
industry. Previous or current participation in the local music scene. A clear
understanding of music and constant exposure to current musicians in the market.
Must have previous experience in Cat Family Records internal operations and
overall mission. Excellent Communication skills. Established and a good standing
relationship with venue owners, local musicians and recording studios.

A&R Assistant Director

Responsibilities​: Assist Director in managing reps and timelines. Taking notes

during meetings and uploading them to the drive. Manage volunteer street team
activity sign ups. Delegate scouting activities to interns and volunteers. Organize
and edit all documents including word docs, excel spreadsheets, email templates
and other on the drive. Attend department head meetings when necessary. Attend
all A&R office hours and meetings.

Requirements:​ General knowledge and understanding of the operation of the music

industry. A willingness and interest in learning about the local music scene.
Excellent communication skills. Must be organized. Must be familiar with composing
spreadsheets, documents and other Microsoft office related programs and with
navigating google drive.

A&R Representative

Responsibilities​: Communicate regularly with assigned artists. Update artist

timelines. Facilitate all of the artist’s needs with appropriate department.
Communicate any artist updates to the Director and/ or Assistant Director. Be
willing to listen to their artist’s music and attend a few of their shows. Attend all
weekly office hours and meetings. Attend open mics and non-cat family shows to
scout for new talent. Compose email templates to reach out to blog, radio station
and playlist managers.

Requirements:​ Excellent communication skills. Interest or experience in the music

industry. Must be familiar with composing spreadsheets, documents and other
Microsoft office related programs and with navigating google drive. A willingness
and interest in learning about the local music scene.

40
Procedures
Scouting / Selecting Artists
1. First, go to shows. Network. Meet new people and bands, and look into anything that
you find striking. Overall, as a label, we’re looking for artists that are passionate,
unique, hardworking, and realistic about the process of signing with a nonprofit
label. Here are some important factors to consider when scouting for talent:
Market needs in terms of style and genre
Consistency in tasteful music composition
Commercial viability
Current fan base
Crowd response to live performances
Artist’s motivation/ commitment level
Unique lyrical/ musical POV
Willingness to grow and evolve

2. Ok, you’ve found an artist you’re interested in maybe signing. Now what? Here’s
how to approach them: 1) Introduce yourself. Tell them who you are and what you
do; 2) Give them a brief label introduction, an elevator pitch, about Cat Family; 3) be
genuine and express your interest. We’re not playing hard to get, we’re trying to
support artists; 4) gauge their interest. If they seem interested, ask for contact
information and tell them you will follow up with a potential meeting time to
discuss details—contracts, expectations, and all other introductory materials.

3. Next, reach out to the A&R Director to discuss the viability of bringing in a new artist
to the label. If the A&R Director approves, present all applicable artist information
and material at next A&R meeting including:
Social media pages
Youtube or other videos
Spotify, soundcloud or other music sources
Artist website
Upcoming shows
Find out other relevant details about artist

4. While engaging in number 3 above, inform the label (and relevant department
heads) that you are interested in signing a new artist. The weekly Dept. Head
meetings are a good place to break this news. Make sure you have collected all
relevant, existing material to present, refer to (3) above.

41
 5. If the department heads approve of pursuing the new sign, communicate that
information to the artist. You should already have scheduled or conducted an initial
interest meeting. If the artist is interested in signing, now you’re on to…

6. Schedule a meeting with the Executive Director. Print and bring contracts to the
scheduled meeting. List / communicate what the label can/will offer. Go over terms,
conditions, and expectations with new artists. Sign contract.

7. If applicable, then set up a pre-production meeting with the Production Director and
first meeting with A&R to assign artist representatives and establish artist timelines.

Managing Artists
1. Successfully managing an artist is the most crucial part of any representative’s job
with the A&R Department. Once you’ve been assigned (or have selected) an artist,
the first step is research. Listen to their available music. Watch their videos. Read
about them. Try to see them live, and get a general feel for who they are before you
meet with them. Once you have a feel, reach out to them to schedule a meeting.
Here’s the ​CONTACT LIST
2. When you meet with your artist, the first step (after a brief introduction) is to set up
and/or help continue or maintain their overall timeline. Timelines are a
combination of meta documents, calendars, and spreadsheets used to establish
release dates and other target dates based on album releases. As a label, we
generally sign artists to album deals. They can range from 3-4 song EPs to 8-10 or
more song LPs.4 With that in mind, ALL of our target dates are based on a THREE TO
SIX MONTH TIMELINE governed by album release. Ideally, we should be marketing
and planning a release six months ahead of when it actually comes out. Sometimes,
the production of an album alone can take more than a year, especially for a full
album with 10 or more songs. Genre and complexity can also influence how long an
album is in the production process. A release date shouldn’t be set, however, until

4
EP and LP are artifact abbreviations left over from the record days. EP stands for “extended play” and is
usually designated for shorter albums (3-5 total songs). LP is “long play” and really just means full album.
Actual lengths, however, are pretty subjective. Some “full albums” are quite short, while others should be
packaged as a series of lectures and never released to the public.

42
 we have a pretty good idea about WHEN EXACTLY we will have masters back from
either our studio or whatever studio the artist is working with.5

3. The overall release date should be set AT LEAST THREE MONTHS from the date that
masters are back! As this date is never fixed, you should err on the side of caution.
Three months is pretty cautious for a small, independent nonprofit label, but it’s not
ideal for a larger organization. As we evolve and grow, so too will our guidelines
about release dates. Most new artists will fight you on this procedure. They figure
that whenever the masters are done they can just be thrown into some music
distributor service and viola! It’s important, however, that you properly convey the
importance of behind-the-scenes marketing. Specific release dates don’t really
matter as much as release timelines. It is more important that we are properly
marketing and setting up artists for success well before their release dates than
hitting arbitrary deadlines for album or single releases. We do this for a number of
reasons. One of which is Spotify playlisting. Songs have to be given time to “sit” with
Spotify for the opportunity to be placed on an officially curated playlist. There are
also often problems that are unexpected in the music game. Sometimes three
months isn’t even enough time to make sure masters are back and we have the
proper time to promote before a release.

4. Once you’ve established a release date, work backwards from that date to build a
timeline. Use the following as a rough marketing guide (from Reddit):
https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/8gice7/how_to_release_an_albu
m/

5. Notice, from the above, that you’ll need to collect as much artist information as is
reasonably possible. Ultimately, you are working on building a successful press kit.
In the past, this was a physical kit/pack of information sent to press outlets that
include press clippings, photos, an album, etc., but now, when you see “press kit,”
people are really just referring to an electronic press kit (an EPK). To build one, ​you
must coordinate with each relevant department head to provide the following
goods and services:
Music – At Cat Family Studios, we have the resources necessary to record
most of our signed artists’ EPs or full length albums, and our Production
Department is one of the best in Tallahassee. Some artists may prefer,
however, to record on their own or at another studio. That is totally cool. If
they do choose to record at our studio, though, it’s your responsibility to

5
“Master” recordings refer to the final files, after they have been mixed and properly “mastered” by a
mastering engineer. For a more detailed description of mixes vs. masters, please see the production section of
this handbook.

43
contact our production department and make that happen. Create deadlines
and calculate realistic projections on when recordings will initiate, when the
first mixes will be ready for review, and when masters can be reviewed and
submitted to music distribution services (CD Baby or Distrokid). These
timelines should be discussed between you, the producer, and the artist.
Keep in mind that even if the artist chooses to record outside the label it’s
still your responsibility to establish and oversee deadlines and timelines.
Art – (merchandise and albums) – Our art department is fully equipped to
create album art, t-shirt designs, and other types of visual art for album
releases, merch runs, and other purposes. It’s up to the representative to
assess the artist’s needs and coordinate with the art department. If the artist
has the resources available to create, design, and sell their own merch, they
may do so, but the quality of the art and design must meet label standards.
Make sure to clarify to the artists that there will be no upfront costs in
merchandise production (for standard products) and that the profit will be
split 50/50 once the label is paid back its initial investment. Listed below, see
what we guarantee for each release.
Photos – The art department also handles all photography needs. Contact the
Art Director or Photography Director to schedule photoshoots. Each artist is
guaranteed at least one photoshoot per release. Ideally, however, artists will
be provided up to three photoshoots for EPs and full albums. Typically, these
photoshoots should be scheduled before major release timelines (i.e., before
single or music video releases or major press publication coverage).
Short-form biographies – These are short, one-paragraph descriptions,
should be scheduled with the Writing Department, and can be found in each
artist’s folder on our google drive. If an artist was just signed to the label or if
the bio needs to be updated, contact the Writing Department for a new one.
The Writing Department will schedule an interview.
Long-form biographies – These are up to 500 words, much more expansive
than the short-form bios, and can also be found in each artist’s folder. Keep in
mind that it’s your job to make sure these are written and updated for the
artist you manage/ represent.
Music video/s & concert footage – Music videos are a great way to gain
some traction in the music industry. They help promote new releases and
help reach larger audiences through visual arts. Our art department has
competent artists and videographers equipped to create quality content. Let
your artist know that this media platform is available to them and facilitate
the scheduling process. Many artists will want to reach outside of the label

44
for video services. If that is the case, help facilitate connections and
scheduling. Again, make sure that the work is up to label and industry
standards.
CD Baby / Submithub questionnaires – Each of the included
questionnaires should also be fully answered and updated. These questions
help with playlisting (see below), licensing, and other media and press
placements. ​It is your sole responsibility to reach out to artists and make
sure these questions are fully answered, updated, and accurate. This
responsibility does not fall to any other department or department head.
Links to print or online press – Any music reviews, show mentions, or
otherwise should be linked in a document in each artist’s parent folder. All
press mentions are archived on the website, and each representative needs
to keep all mentions documented and organized for our website team. ​It is
your sole responsibility to make sure these lists are fully updated and
accurate. This responsibility does not fall to any other department or
department head.
Links to all social media – All social media links should also be included in a
document for easy access by our web team. That includes links to artist
Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, Spotify accounts, Soundcloud accounts,
Bandcamp accounts, Twitter handles, Youtube channels, TikTok accounts,
etc. ​It is your sole responsibility to make sure these lists are fully updated
and accurate. This responsibility does not fall to any other department or
department head.
A list of past and upcoming shows – Previous shows can be found in artists’
archived timelines (in the A&R parent folder). Upcoming shows should be
frequently updated in your artist’s timeline. This is important for us as a label
to know, especially so the marketing department always knows when to
create social media posts and prepare marketing strategies ahead of time.
While you should be coordinating with the Events Department to update and
manage this list, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure that the
Marketing Department knows about ALL upcoming shows. Information
about past shows and crowd draws also help with tour booking and other
artist promotion.
All other EPK materials / materials for our website and press releases –
Anything above and beyond what is not explicitly (as of this writing)
mentioned here should also be included in each artist folder.

45
 6. Once you have a timeline, a list of target dates, and ALL of the requisite information
above, coordinate with the Marketing Department and your A&R director to plan
and execute press statements, social media posts, and other marketing strategies,
such as reaching out to playlist curators, radio stations, blogs on submit hub and
through outside resources. Specific procedures (playlisting, press statements,
marketing plans, etc.) are listed in the next section.

7. Be in constant contact with your artist and troubleshoot any problems. Ultimately,
you are responsible for your artist’s success and connection to label resources.
Remember that you represent both label and artist interests, and you should act as a
conduit between your assigned artist and each of the relevant departments of Cat
Family Records. To the best of your ability, and within reason, make sure your artist
is content with all aspects of the above services and procedures. You should be
checking in with your artist regularly. These should take place either via facebook,
text or phone call. In- person check ins should be scheduled at least once every two
weeks.

Playlisting

Submithub
https://www.submithub.com/

1. First, ​before you do anything​, listen, watch, and ​learn​ from these examples:
http://cdbabypodcast.com/2018/07/213-truth-spotify-playlists-pt-1/
http://cdbabypodcast.com/2018/07/214-truth-spotify-playlists-pt2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riKrCyz89RE

2. Once you have finished the above, using the cat family email for your artist
(​band.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com​), create a submithub account for your artist. If
an artist already has an account, request access.

3. Next, gather all relevant information you will need and set up their artist profile.
Information needed:
Artist name
Song title
Genre

46
 Three similar artists
A short description / explanation of the song you are pushing
A “good” photo
A short biography
All available music and social media links (spotify, facebook, instagram,
twitter, etc.)
An MP3 of the single you wish to push. Note that you need an mp3 and not a
wav or other file. Contact Nic Dabby with the Production Department if you
are having difficulty finding the correct files. All music should be available on
drive, however, within the Production Department Artist folders.
4. Set up an artist profile with the above information.

5. Upload the MP3 and fill in all requisite information.

6. Once you have ALL the above information correctly filled out and your artist profile
looks good, move on to the submission process.

7. Cat Family Records is able to invest ~$50.00 on ​new releases​, sometimes more,
sometimes less, depending on the overall budgeting needs of the label and the
commercial viability and production quality of the track in question. Paid
submissions on submithub are anywhere from $1 to $3, depending on the size and
scope of the blog/playlist. Each account is also gifted a few free submissions daily.

8. Be strategic about the blogs/playlists/radio stations you pick. Listen carefully to the
track you are marketing, and only shop it to RELEVANT playlists/blogs/stations. For
most songs, this process is obvious. Users can sort submithub results based on
genre, reach, size, influence, etc. For the most part, we have had success with small
to mid-sized blogs and playlists. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t target larger ones.
We should only send tracks, however, that fit with the general style of the
playlist/blog/station in question. Pay attention to the placement record of what you
are submitting to. Only choose blogs/stations/playlists that feature the particular
genre of the song you are submitting.

9. Select the “feedback option” for listener requirements. The average listening time
does not change based on selection (from our experience), and the feedback option
allows the possibility for refunded money.

47
 10. Once you are satisfied with your list of playlists, start submitting!
Other Spotify Playlists
PLAYLIST DATABASE

1. First, ​listen to the track you are interested in placing​. If you’ve already heard it,
listen to it again.

2. Next, think about all the ways in which the track stands out.
What is the genre?
How is the song-writing?
What settings would it fit in? Is it a study song? Could you hear it in a coffee
shop? At the gym?
What is the overall vibe / energy of the song?
Does anything else set it apart? Is it mathy? Does it have weird chord
progressions? Is it referencing something embedded in a larger community?
Maybe it’s full of Star Wars references or is perfect for a road trip?

3. Write down all of the things you come up with in Step 2, in order of how applicable
to playlisting. For example, genre should be listed first. Playlists are already divided
up by genre, and most playlists are built around specific musical styles and tastes.
Next, write down the overall “vibe” of the track. What’s the energy level? Next, write
down what settings it would fit with best. Is it a banger or does it put you to sleep?
Finally, write out anything else that stands out. Notice that you should be left with
FOUR categories: genre, vibe, setting, and “other.” ALL FOUR of these categories will
help you place the particular track with the most relevant playlists and give you the
best shot at success.

4. Now, here comes the tricky part. The database linked above, as of January 2020, has
just been created. In it, you’ll find links to be compiled and a few other playlists.
Until we have a more complete spreadsheet of independent playlists, it is up to you
to find them, submit to them, and then ​add them ​to the linked spreadsheet. Use
whatever method you can to find as many applicable playlists as possible. Google
and Reddit are good places to start. Using the three artists that your artist sounds
like (from the steps above), you can also search Spotify to see what playlists those
artists are on. Select the ones that have between 500 and 200,000 followers (or
close to those numbers), and google them to find out how they accept submissions.
Sometimes this can be difficult, because curators vary in how they accept music
submissions. Some require email. Others require instagram or twitter messages.

48
 Some require a pigeon carrier. As we build the database above, it is up to you to find
and add playlists as you come across them. Playlists are also constantly being
created and disbanded. Our database will never be completely up-to-date, but that’s
ok. Do the best that you can. ​Submit to at least 10 playlists per artist per week
using ​this method​! That doesn’t count using Submithub or the method mentioned in
#6 below.

5. Once you’ve found a playlist that takes independent submissions, listen and check it
out to see if it’s a good fit for your particular song or artist. Make sure that it’s a good
fit before you send anything to a curator! You can potentially burn a bridge before
you have a chance to build one (I know that makes no sense) if you waste someone’s
time with a blind submission. If you do think that your song fits, send an email or
message (with an mp3 of the song if it isn’t released yet or a spotify link if it has
been released) that goes a little something like:
Hi [name of curator if you have it],
Really digging your playlist! I love the selection, and I think I might have
something you’d be interested in playing. Here’s a link: [link to song]6
I’m an artist rep with a nonprofit label out of Tallahassee, FL, and we’d love
to share your playlist on our social media accounts if you decide to include
the track. You can check us out here: ​http://www.catfamilyrecords.com/
Thanks so much for your time, and let me know if you need anything else!
—[your name]

6. You can also use ​https://www.spotimatch.com/​ to connect your artists to playlists.

Ideally, you should have the keys to your artist’s spotify account and use that login
information for spotimatch. If you can’t find the login details or your artist isn’t
being cooperative, please let your Director know. Spotimatch is pretty
straightforward. You enter your Spotify song link then click on a specific genre or
enter a specific keyword (use the genres, “vibes,” and other keywords generated
above) in the appropriate search bar. Then click “Search.” The algorithm matches
you with playlists. Submit to all relevant lists.

7. Continue to research other methods! ​Outside of submithub, we are pretty green

when it comes to independent playlisting. There are several companies that charge
lots of money for playlisting help. Basically, they’re just doing what we’re doing
above. They’ve just been doing it longer, and they have made lots of good contacts.
What you’re doing is incredibly valuable in today’s music market. Just one add on

6
If you’re attaching an mp3 instead of a link, obviously say that instead.

49
 the right playlist could break an artist and skyrocket their music career. Plus, any
work you do on the research front, especially with adding playlist contact
information, helps the next generation of artists and volunteers. In short, you’re the
real mvp. This can be a pretty thankless job, but I (the first-person narrator) am
thanking you now. So. Thank you!

College Radio Stations

COLLEGE RADIO DATABASE
1. This process is very similar to the above. Use the database linked to find college
stations that fit with the artist you are promoting. First, check to see if the station
takes digital submissions. If they do, follow their posted guidelines. If they take
emails, use something like the following:7
Hi [music director or station name],
Love what you’re doing at [station name]! I’m an artist rep with Cat Family
Records, and I’m reaching out because I think we have a track you might be
interested in playing.
Attached, I’ve included an mp3 of [song name] by [artist name]. [BRIEFLY
DESCRIBE ARTIST USING SHORT-FORM BIO].8
You can check us out here: ​http://www.catfamilyrecords.com/
Thanks so much for your time, and let me know if you need anything else!
—[your name]

Licensing
1. We’ll come back to this. For now, start with some basic research. Google music
licensing.9

7
Please don’t just use the same blanket message over and over again. Custom-tailor each email, at least
slightly, to accomplish two things: 1) we don’t want to spam people. We’re trying to impart some personal
touches. 2) You’re more likely to make mistakes if you’re just copy/pasting the same tired email over and
over. Plus, as each station’s requirements differ, the information in the above example might be incomplete or
incorrect. Make sure you are checking the specific requirements for each station.
8
Again, this submission type depends on the station. Some will ask for an mp3. Some will ask for a spotify
link, etc. Make sure you are following the specific guidelines requested by each station. If you don’t, you make
us look bad. Please don’t be makin’ us look bad.
9
Here are a couple of links to get you started: ​https://www.songtradr.com/artists
https://newartistmodel.com/how-to-license-your-music-with-music-libraries/

50
Additional Notes
Artist check-ins ​are between the ​representative and ​artist and can be as often as
necessary but should be scheduled at least every one to two weeks. These can be in a
designated chat, over the phone, or however possible and convenient.

In-person artist meetings should be designated for larger tasks and bigger conversations,
like: scheduling tours, production decisions, etc. They can be scheduled when necessary
but should happen once every two weeks. Make sure to invite the necessary people,
including: the Assistant Director (or Director if there is no Assistant at that time), all
members of the band, and any necessary department heads depending on the purpose of
the meeting (art, marketing, booking, etc.)

Updates from representatives to upper management (Director/Assistant Director)

should be given weekly. As representatives become comfortable with this process, they can
be more selective about what updates that are directly given to upper management. For
example, while it is ok to not mention every upcoming show or minor detail in an A&R
meeting, records of all updates should be kept on google drive and relevant department
heads ​should be​ updated regularly.

Photoshoots can happen as needed, but every band needs to have at least one, preferably
more. They should reflect the current artist and their vibe, and they should be unique and
set the artist apart. Make sure new photoshoots happen when members are
added/dropped and artist/band visions are changed. They can also be scheduled for things
like upcoming releases or tour promotions.

Music videos require more planning and strategy. Unless the artist has a specific
videographer in mind, you will likely need to put together a team of people to help create a
music video, and it can take months to complete. It may be helpful to preemptively set
various deadlines for each of the steps, such as initial meetings, planning, design,
storyboarding, filming, editing, drafts, and final cuts.

Merchandise ​orders should be placed as far in advance as possible. Week-of deadlines for
t-shirts and other merchandise are strongly discouraged and should only be requested in
cases of extreme emergency (shipments lost or damaged, etc.) As far as creation and
purchasing is concerned, these are the choices:

Artist-designed, artist-managed:​ the artist may choose to handle all the merch
themselves, including the design, purchasing, and selling, assuming they have the
resources to execute this well.

51
 Artist-designed, label-managed:​ the artist may have a design for merch, but they
aren’t sure how to acquire the merch itself. As the label, we have access to mass
t-shirt orders, sticker websites, and industrial printing, so we can accommodate
orders that most of our artists can’t. However, the artist must be willing to put
forward money to help pay for those orders if they request more than the agreed on,
a minimum level of label commitment (listed in the artist resource section below).

Label-designed, label-managed:​ if the artist has no design, the label’s art department
can create one and produce the merch itself. In this case, however, if the visual artist
requests it, the recording artist must be willing to have a portion of the profits from
that merch go to the label artist who designed it. This percentage needs to be agreed
upon before work commences.

Production schedules are often maintained directly between the artist and the producer;
however, the schedule should be made clear to representatives. If scheduling appears to be
difficult for the artist and producer, the representative can step in and assist in setting
these deadlines. The representative should also ensure that these deadlines are being set
and met, including pre-production, tracking, mixing, mastering, and releases. Masters
should be done at least a month before the release date, at minimum. For releases in 2020
and beyond, however, masters should be returned THREE months before the album release
date. This is extremely important to create a timely and effective release plan and to get the
appropriate emails, press releases, and submissions finalized before the release.

Artist/Label Relationships and Resources

Note that, as a label, ​we will never charge our artists upfront costs for any of the
services we offer. If we are financially successful, we share wealth. Our default position,
however, if there are any future questions, is to refer back to this primary rule. Our services
are free to signed artists. Yes, we can recoup manufacturing costs. No, we do not demand
payment from artists for any of the products or services listed below. See our contracts for
specific details.

List of Products and Services Offered

Go over this list with artists BEFORE they sign their contracts, and make sure they agree to
and understand each of the points below!

1. Production – We offer recording, mixing, and mastering sessions and services. Will
assign a producer and a team of 2-3 recording, mixing, and mastering engineers. We
offer preferred access to our studio, equipment, instruments, and other
music-related creative resources. We also help with songwriting and composition if

52
 artists request assistance. We also offer original production work including beats,
and outside mastering services may also be offered, depending on artist needs and
the explicit requirements of each contract.

2. Digital Distribution – We offer digital distribution services with CD Baby or

Distrokid, depending on the circumstances. We will always cover these costs.

3. Preferred Booking – We offer preferred booking for any of the venues we help
curate (e.g., The Wilbury, The LitterBox, CDU shows, etc.)

4. Tour Booking​ – We offer help with booking one tour per album or EP release.

5. Management – We offer general management and everything outlined in this

handbook and A&R section.

6. Art – We offer album and merchandise art. That includes art for the album cover,
back, insert, spline, cd itself, and art for stickers and t-shirts.

7. Marketing – We offer general promotion and behind the scenes marketing. We will
submit to blogs, college radio stations, and playlists.

8. Electronic Press Kits (EPKs)​ – For each signed artist, that kit will include:
At least one photo shoot per release
One long bio
One short bio
One music video
A social media tree (list of links)
Outside press and video links
One page on our website
An EPK and personalized folder on our google drive

9. Physical Merchandise – For album releases, we guarantee ​25-50 albums

depending on band or artist agreements and whether or not we are required to
manufacture in-house or order from Kunaki or other press companies. This should
be discussed prior to signing contracts. We also guarantee ​EITHER 25 white shirts
or 20 black shirts​ (one color designs) AND ​50 stickers​.
Note a few important things: ​(1) artist and label split profits 50/50 on
physical merchandise when the label manufactures or pays for merchandise
runs AFTER the label recoups all initial investments. ​(2) we price-fix on the

53
 merchandise we do provide. That is, on all current merchandise, we hold the
right to set the retail price on our website and at events. Typically, we sell
albums for $9, shirts for $15 or $20 and stickers for $3. ​(3) once we have sold
80% of each type of merchandise, we will restock or manufacture more.

10. Auditing Power – Artists can look at our books at any time. We offer full
transparency of accounting.

Products and Services NOT Offered

1. All artists should take care of their own ASCAP and/or BMI registration. We should
not be signing contracts until artists have completed their own ASCAP/BMI
registrations. While not required, artists should also be encouraged to form their
own LLC for tax purposes.
2. Transportation to recording sessions or shows or anywhere really. Someone can
maybe give you a ride sometimes, but we can’t guarantee that.
3. Travel reimbursement. Sorry, but we can’t pay for your gas.
4. Per diem for tours. Eventually, we’ll be able to offer this. For now, though, we are
operating on a limited budget and are unable to provide tour support beyond a basic
merch package.
5. Instruments for musicians or musicians for shows. We can probably let you borrow
instruments, but we can’t guarantee that.
6. Social media management. Artists should manage their own social media accounts.
We can help with some posting, and we will help craft posts and plug their releases
on our own accounts. As of this writing, however, we lack the resources to
successfully manage all artist accounts, and we require teamwork.
7. Out-of-house production services. We cannot guarantee money for studio services
outside of Cat Family Studios.
8. Private sound equipment or live sound production for shows outside of Cat Family
events.
9. No “rockstar” treatment or guaranteed levels of commercial success. It’s a chaotic
universe, and life can suck. In the vein of Camus and other absurdist thinkers,
however, we believe that life is also what you make of it. We can choose to imbue it
with our own meaning. And, as we all lack control over our own initial conditions,
we are all equal and implicitly valuable. So, with that said, ​we will not offer special
treatment or entertain self-important entitlement​. We are in this thing together.
10. No minimal amount of streams, sales, or placements on playlists, blogs, radio
stations, or licensing deals.

54
Expectations for ​All​ Signed Artists
1. Be an upstanding and respectful citizen. Do not engage in hate speech, racism,
transphobia, homophobia or other behaviors that contradict Cat Family’s mission
statements or other stated purposes.
2. Have realistic expectations for success. We are a nonprofit label with limited
resources. We are not UMG, Sony, or a running credit card.
3. We will release and market your material. It’s weird that this has to be said, but it
does. If artists sign with us, we want to release and market their material.
4. Act in good faith. Show up to meetings, shows, and all scheduled commitments.
5. Your songs may be selected for our annual, physical compilation album to raise
money for the label. These are usually very small, local releases (under 50 copies),
and artists are not paid for compilation releases. These are included as special items
and considered part of Cat Family fundraising efforts.
6. Artists must have and manage their own social media (at least Facebook and
Instagram).
7. Artists must be willing, within reason, to help with promoting the label and
fundraising opportunities.
8. Artists must be willing to help promote their own shows.
9. Artists must do all in their power to meet agreed upon deadlines.
10. Artists must communicate needs and/or issues to Cat Family Records consistently,
before they become lasting or systematic problems.
11. At minimum, artists must meet twice per month with their A&R representatives.
12. Artists must use established channels of communication. All problems or concerns
must be communicated first to either their artist representative or the A&R
Director. Where problems arise with the above, artists must communicate those
issues with HR and/or upper management.
13. Artists must consider all recommendations made by label, including: style, branding,
image, music composition, etc. Ultimately, the artist will have the last say in
composition and majority creative control, but we are here to suggest
improvements that align with industry standards and commercial success. We will
devote more resources to artists that are more serious about sustained success.
14. Artists must attend scheduled interviews.
15. Album production must meet industry standards within the confines of the genre.
This is especially true for artists that decide to record with studios outside of the
label or those that self-produce their own records.
16. Artists must create and communicate timelines with their assigned representatives.

55
MUSIC PRODUCTION
1st Edition by Nic Dabby, January 2020

The Problem: ​Traditional record labels and production houses can be predatory and
create inflated barriers to entry. Recording, mixing, and mastering services are often
prohibitively costly and advantage the affluent and connected over the poor and talented.

The Mission: ​We address this problem by providing free production services at no upfront
costs to signed artists. The label, studio, and production team are only compensated if a
record is commercially successful. Even then, we compensate artists above and beyond
industry standards.

We also offer internship opportunities for college credit and real, hands-on industry
experience.

Getting Involved
Welcome to the Cat Family Records Production section! This document will be your trusty
guide through your time in the Production Department. It contains our Department
structure, job responsibilities, the documents and checklists we use, and an extensive set of
educational materials designed to get you up to speed with Studio Production.

Step 1: Initial Meeting

The first step for anyone interested in getting involved with the Production Department is
to check out our studio! We are located at ​3212 West Tennessee St. ​In this initial meeting,
we will discuss your prior experience and what you’re looking to get out of your time with
the Production Department.

Step 2: Attend our bi-weekly Tuesday Meetings

Production Department meetings are held ​every other Tuesday night at 8PM at our
Studio​. In these sessions, we will go over any Department-wide updates. Following that, we
may go over concepts in music production, like sidechaining, compression, recording
techniques, etc., Finally, we also encourage team feedback on any active projects, as well as
any projects you or anyone else on the team would like feedback on.

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Spring 2020 Meeting Schedule
Feb 11; Feb 25; Mar 10; Mar 24; Apr 7; Apr 21

Step 3: Shadowing Studio Sessions

Once you’ve attended the initial meetings, you will be eligible to shadow recording, mixing,
and mastering sessions. While you observe the assigned team work in real-time, you can
also use these opportunities to learn the layout of the studio and how we operate as a
Department.

Step 4: Contributing to Studio Sessions

After you have attended a sufficient number of shadowing sessions and demonstrated core
mastery of our procedures, you will then have the opportunity to contribute directly in
upcoming sessions, depending on which Staff Position you have been assigned.

Job Descriptions
Director of Production

Responsibilities: Maintaining and adjustment of department rules, guidelines, and

policies. Shift scheduling for Volunteer Supervisors. Assignment of Signed-Artist
Projects to Producers & Sound Engineers. Training for Volunteers.

Requirements: ​One year of experience working in the Cat Family Records

Production Department. At least two years of experience recording and mixing
(mastering not mandatory) music in a Studio setting, or four years of experience
recording and mixing in a solo environment. Must be able to demonstrate
experience with a portfolio. An in-depth knowledge of the Studio layout and setup
procedure.

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Music Producer

​ nderstanding, achieving and trying to refine the Artist’s Vision

Responsibilities: U
for their record. Getting the best possible performance out of an artist. Directing
Production Team over the course of the Project.

Requirements: A ​ portfolio of at least four Projects which the candidate produced,

with an explanation of their involvement on each Project. Six months of working in
the Cat Family Records Production Department. An in-depth knowledge of the
Studio layout and setup procedure.10

Recording Engineer

​ perating sound recording equipment during Recording Sessions.

Responsibilities: O
Determining microphone choice and positioning.

Requirements: A​ portfolio of at least four Projects which the candidate recorded,

with an explanation of their involvement on each Project.
Compensation: Eligible for percentage points on a record.

Mixing Engineer

Responsibilities: O​ perating the DAW and applying EQ, dynamics processing and
other mixing techniques to create a mix or set of mixes, influenced by reference
tracks as well as artist, team and management input.

Requirements: A ​ portfolio of at least four Projects which the candidate mixed, with
an explanation of their involvement on each Project.
Compensation: Eligible for percentage points on a record.

10
This position is eligible for compensation (percentage points on a record).

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Mastering Engineer

Responsibilities: P ​ reparing the finalized mix(es) for distribution by performing

additional editing & dynamics processing, and creating a master or series of masters
suited for the distribution medium(s).

Requirements: A​ portfolio of at least four Projects which the candidate mastered,

with an explanation of their involvement on each Project.
Compensation: Eligible for percentage points on a record.

Assistant Engineer

​ erforms any tasks requested by a Recording, Mixing and/or

Responsibilities: P
Mastering Engineer during sessions.

​ his is an entry level position.

Requirements: T

Session Supervisor

​ onitors progress and ensures safe operation of equipment

Responsibilities: M
during Sessions.

Requirements: A​ n in-depth knowledge of studio setup. At least six months of

experience working in the Cat Family Records Production Department.

Internships: Students completing an internship for credit at a college/university may

choose to apply to any of the Volunteer positions. Depending on the situation, official
Interns may receive preference depending on Internship requirements.

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Anatomy of a Project

Pre-Production
Assigned to: Producer
Information Gathering,​ or “What do we need to know?”
There are a lot of details that need to be known from the start of any project that will help
the process go along smoothly. Let’s start with the most fundamental ones:
- Scope of Project. What is the size of the “Act”? Is it a solo singer-songwriter, a band,
etc? Make sure to note the roles and responsibilities of everyone that is involved
with the Artist. Additionally, how many songs are going to be covered in this
project? Is it a Single, EP (Extended Play), LP (Limited Play)?
- Scheduling. This is a big one. The Acts you will be working with, as well as yourself
and your team members, will almost always have jobs/classes/other engagements
outside of their music, so it is crucial for the Artist to get you their schedules. Firstly,
you will mark all the times where band members’ free time ​overlaps. T ​ his will
guarantee a day or set of days where you can expect the entire Act to be present.
Following that, you will want to get each individual Act member’s availability, since
there will be situations in which you will not need everyone present. Again, be
thorough with this part. Take it from us: scheduling has the potential to be a
nightmare.
- Timeline. This is related to, but separate from scheduling. The Timeline has
everything to do with deadlines. Sometimes the Act will come to you with a release
date that they feel will work. While we want to meet every artist’s expectations, it is
often the case, with our clientele (students, new and aspiring musicians, etc.), that
many artists have little to no knowledge of what it takes to complete a project
behind-the-scenes, especially for longer projects or albums. Therefore, you will need
to take special care to rely on your own scheduling to determine a realistic date for
total project completion. Also remember that the project completion date and
project release date ​are not the same thing. Consider that there will be a
one-to-three month gap between when the project master(s) are complete and
when the project is actually distributed and/or released to the public. This is
because, before official release dates and after masters are submitted, there are
behind-the-scenes strategies and promotions implemented by A&R and Marketing,
like creating press campaigns and submitting songs to be featured or playlisted.
While this should be made clear in meetings with A&R, double-check to make sure
the Act understands this.
- With that out of the way, here are the major deadlines that have to be
scheduled:
- Completion of Recording Phase. In order to figure this one out, you
should sit down with the Act and schedule as many Recording
Sessions as you estimate it will take to have everything recorded. Feel
free to get into detail here, such as specifying what will be recorded
during what session (for example: Drums & Bass in Session one, Lead

60
 Guitar in Session two, Vocals in Session three). The “deadline” will
essentially be the last Recording Session. Of course, things can change;
perhaps the Act can’t make it to a session for whatever reason. Be
proactive in re-scheduling and adjusting the Recording deadline.
- Completion of First Draft Mixes, Second Draft Mixes, etc. If the
Recording Deadline is set in advance, you should be able to schedule
the Deadline for the First Draft Mixes. While this is made clear in the
Signed-Artist Checklist, the mixing engineer(s) should complete the
First Draft Mixes independently of the Act; therefore, it is not
necessary to formally schedule mixing sessions, if the assigned mixing
engineer wants to take the stems and work from home, for example.
The Act gets involved with the Mixing process once the First Draft
Mixes are completed and shown/sent to them. The Act and
Production Management will have feedback for you; you should
schedule the Second Drafts (and all subsequent Drafts) based on the
breadth of the changes to be made, and the Mixing Engineer’s
availability.
- Completion of First Draft Masters, Second Draft Masters, etc. These
Deadlines work exactly like the Mixing Deadlines, in the event that we
are mastering the project in-house.
- Once all of these Deadlines are at least tentatively scheduled, you can
accurately estimate the overall Project Completion Date.
- Genre/Style. What genre is the project? Does the project uphold genre conventions
or break them?
- Don’t forget to request 3-5 reference tracks from the artist. These tracks
should represent layering/performance decisions, as well as overall fidelity,
that the artist wants in their project. Ideally, these tracks should inform the
actions of the recording and mixing engineers.
- “Is the gang all here?” It may be possible that the Act will require creative assistance
outside of themselves. This is crucial information to find out as soon as possible, as
it rolls into the second part of Pre-Production.
- Act Rehearsal Schedule. An Act that practices often will always be better equipped
to deliver high-quality performances than an Act that doesn’t. Therefore, you should
make sure that the band has their own consistent rehearsal schedule up to and
through the Recording Sessions.

Creative Development
The goal of Creative Development in Pre-Production is to fine-tune the Artist’s musical
ideas and create a concise record.
Here are a couple things to think about right off the bat:
● The Studio version of an Artist’s music does NOT have to exactly match the Live
version of their music.
● Our goal as a label is to give our signed artists the best shot they have at being
COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL. We want to give our artists the best shot they have
at being picked up by popular curated blogs, playlists, and influencers, therefore

61
 maximizing their stream potential. We have been using services such as Submithub
11
to accomplish this goal. Submithub has provided us with valuable feedback that
we have compiled into the following list of guidelines that increase an Artist’s
chances of commercial success. Refusal or failure to follow these guidelines are not a
deal-breaker by any means, as we believe in creative freedom for the Artist first and
foremost. However, following these guidelines will mean more support from us in
promotion and marketing once the project is complete.

Guidelines for Maximizing Commercial Success

1. “Time to Kick-Off”
a. Intros should be “short and sweet,” especially if the song has lyrics. Why? A
stranger, someone with no reason to support you, must be quickly convinced
to listen to your music. The first 10-15 seconds are crucial in convincing a
stranger that they shouldn’t hit skip and move on with their day. Much like
the opening paragraph in a middle school essay, you need to grab the
audience’s attention as soon as you can and hold on to it as long as you can.
2. Overall Length
a. Much for the same reason that intros should be short and sweet, unnecessary
repetition should be avoided where possible. We’re going for full plays/full
engagement, and you have the highest chance of losing a listener if your song
doesn’t get going fast enough OR goes on too long. While we understand that
repetition and extended sections can be used intentionally and artistically,
Artists should expect feedback if their music starts to lose steam.
3. Vocal Presence
a. A random survey of Cat Family volunteers, each with differing music tastes
and backgrounds, should be able to sit down, listen to your song, and write
down the lyrics as they hear them, and be at least 80% correct. Achieving this
percentage is two-fold: Vocals must be present in the mix with peaks
typically sitting higher than any other element of the song (sidechained and
gain staged properly, of course), but they must also be performed in such a
way that each and every word is distinguishable. Do NOT rush the vocals
during recording. Most Artists we will be working with are relatively new to
their craf and have not developed a “mic presence” - the ability to
dynamically modulate their performance by controlling breath, velocity, and
distance from the mic so as to create a flowing performance that is easy to
work with in post-production.
4. Variety (Structure & Melodies)
a. We encourage our Artists to be as creative as they can be with the short and
sensitive time they have (per song) to woo potential fans. Of course, there are
a lot of styles and genres of music that are intentionally stripped down for

11
Aside: How does Submithub work? Basically, we pay blogs / playlist curators to listen to our artists’ music.
They can provide feedback and accept/decline to promote the song(s), sending us back the money if they
decline. The feedback we receive is almost more important than the promotion we get, as it helps us
understand what changes we can possibly make to make our future projects more “playlistable.”

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 effect, but Artists working in genres that are traditionally more involved
should expect feedback to make sure their music isn’t lacking.

Production
Assigned to: Producer, Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixing Engineer(s)

Recording Sessions

This phase is pretty self-explanatory. Once scheduling and equipment needs have been set,
recording sessions can begin.

Comping & Editing Sessions

Comping, an abbreviation of “Composite”, refers to the process of deciding which Recorded

Takes to use for the Song(s). You will be using entire Takes as a single performance on
some Projects, but will have to piece together several Takes to create a single performance
on other Projects. The Artist should be heavily involved in this phase, as they will want to
choose Takes they sound best in. Of course, this is a team effort, and the Artist should
expect the Production Team to have opinions on Comping as well. You will likely be doing
more Comping during the Editing Phase to make sure the final performances are as tight as
possible. Editing refers to the process of “cleaning up” the performances. Here are some
examples of Editing techniques:
● Quantizing
● De-Essing / De-Noising
● Subtractive EQ
● Dynamics Control
● Pitch Correction
While some would argue that these sections belong in Post-Production, it is possible that
re-recording might be necessary; having all the audio comped and edited before
post-production ensures that the mixing phase goes smoothly and no major backtracking is
necessary.

63
Post-Production
Assigned to: Producer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer
With all the recording and editing out of the way it is time to start mixing. Mixing consists
of:
● Adjusting any changes made in pre-production if necessary
● Subtractive & Additive EQ
● Stereo Placement
● Gain Staging
● Compression
● And more!
Mixes will be created in a series of drafts, which are as follows:
❏ First Draft (Also called “Rough Mix”) The First Draft is not expected to be perfect by
any means; the requisites are below.
❏ No clipping
❏ No performance mistakes
❏ No “hearable” cuts - performances should be seamless
❏ Second Draft - The first thing the Client should hear, after making adjustments from
management feedback.
❏ For the following Drafts, make adjustments based on the notes of the Client, Team,
and Management until all parties are in agreement that the mix is complete and
ready for mastering.
If we are mastering in-house, the procedures are similar to mixing:
❏ First Draft (Also called “Rough Master”)
❏ For the Second and following Drafts, make adjustments based on the notes of the
Client, Team, and Management until all parties are in agreement that the mix is
complete and ready to go to mastering.
❏ Once the Final Draft is reached, the Project is officially complete, and the release
date will typically be three months from the completion date.

64
Operating Procedures: Signed-Artist Projects
1. Production Director/A&R Rep have an initial Meeting with the Artist to determine
interest.
2. Client signs the Label Artist Contract.
3. Client either a) is assigned a Producer by Director of Production b) or provides their
own Producer.
4. If the Client wants to go in-house for the Project, The Assigned Producer creates the
“Project Team” - a selection of recording and mixing engineers that will complete
the project. Each Engineer is entitled to a percentage of the record revenues; the
Producer will need to negotiate and come to an agreement.
5. Pre-Production.​ (Information Gathering, Creative Development)
6. Production.​ (Recording Sessions, Comping & Editing Sessions)
7. Post-Production​. (Mixing Sessions, Mastering Sessions)
8. Once the Masters are complete, the Project is officially complete. Masters are saved
to The Vault, as WAV and MP3. Files are sent to Artist’s A&R Rep. Drafts are
archived.

65
Documents
Project Checklist

Artist Name People Involved with Artist

Genre/Style Notes

Primary Contact First & Last Name Primary Contact Phone Number & Email

Availability Notes

List the hours in which ​everyone​ involved with Artist is

available for sessions.

Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun

66
Producer(s) Sound Engineer(s) & Role(s)

Reference Track 1

Reference Track 2

Reference Track 3

Reference Track 4

Reference Track 5

67
Tracklist & Notes.
For each track, make sure to include BPM, Song Structure, Key(s).

68
Equipment Rundown
What will you need for each track? Verify that all equipment will be ready prior to the Session(s). Make
sure to include the following for each track: Interface(s), DAW, Mic(s), Stands, Mic Clips, Cables, Aux
Adaptors, Headphones. Even if this Project will not have any Recording Sessions, include
Mixing/Mastering/Other Equipment needed.
This setups layed out in this section will be referenced on the Session Checklist.

69
Session Checklist
​ ere​ to access the Session Checklist.
Click h

Instructions:
1. Session Date: Self explanatory. Use MM/DD/YYYY formatting.
2. Scheduled Start Time (SST): This is the time that the Artist is scheduled to arrive at
the Studio.
3. Staff Arrival Time (SAT): This is the time that the production team is scheduled to
arrive at the Studio. SAT should be at least 20-30 minutes before SST. If recording
drums, request that the Artist arrive early to set up if possible, and set the SAT
60-90 minutes before the SST.
4. Current Door Code: The Door Code to the front door changes from time to time.
Contact Nic Dabby (305-450-1130) for the current Code if you don’t know it already.
5. Client Phone #: This is the (most reliable) contact number for the Artist.
6. Artist Members & Roles: List out names of all people performing in or for the Artist,
as well as what they are playing.
7. Song Name(s): List the songs that will be worked on for the Session.
8. Session Type: Place a checkmark next to the type of Session that will be occurring.
9. Staff Assignment
a. Assign Staff to their Roles in the first four rows.
i. There must always be a Session Supervisor.
ii. There must always be a Producer. The Producer may occupy multiple
other roles, including Session Supervisor.
b. The fifth and sixth rows are Pre-Session Tasks. These tasks involve getting
the Studio ready for the Session. Tasks are to be divided equally among
present Staff, according to their role. In each blank, write in the Task Code.
i. Tasks SS1-SS3 are to be completed by the Session Supervisor.
c. The bottom two rows are Post-Session Tasks. These tasks involve
reorganizing and cleaning the Studio once the Session is over, preferably
after the Artist has left. Tasks are to be divided equally among present Staff,
according to their role. In each blank, write in the Task Code.

70
Operation Procedures: Live Sound

1. Arriving to the venue

a. Communicate with the assigned Live Sound Supervisor to let them know
when you are on the way and when you have arrived. Live Sound Engineers
should arrive at the venue two hours before band load-in, to give enough
time for setup.
2. Equipment Setup
a. Refer to the following section, “Litterbox Schematics,” for a step-by-step
guide on getting the PA up and running.
b. All faders must be completely down & all channels must be muted when
setting up mics & speakers.
c. Store any band equipment in such a way that it is accessible to yourself and
the band(s) but not attendees.
d. Once equipment is set up, use an unused/open channel to play background
music through the available aux cord.
3. Sound Check
a. Lower the background music.
b. Double check that the signal flow for all equipment is correct before starting
this setup.
c. Test active inputs one by one, slowly and gradually moving the faders up.
d. Make sure everything is muted once the sound check is complete.
e. Raise the background music and keep it playing until the show begins.
4. Running the show
a. Keep a constant eye on levels. If you hear even minor distortion, attempt to
lower the output of the channel which is causing issues.
b. If you are running effects, such as Reverb, Delay, etc., don’t hesitate to cut
them from your mix if they are causing issues. It’s better to have a dry set
than a shrieking one.
5. Tear Down
a. Once the band(s) have finished, mute all channels, resume background music
and begin to help the band load all their gear off the stage. Once the bands
are out of the way, begin to disassemble the sound equipment.

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About Microphones
This section is brought to you by ​MediaCollege​!

How do Microphones Work?

Microphones are a type of transducer - a device which converts energy from one form to
another. Microphones convert acoustical energy (sound waves) into electrical energy (the
audio signal).

Different types of microphone have different ways of converting energy but they all share
one thing in common: The diaphragm. This is a thin piece of material (such as paper, plastic
or aluminium) which vibrates when it is struck by sound waves. In a typical hand-held mic
like the one below, the diaphragm is located in the head of the microphone.

When the diaphragm vibrates, it causes other components in the microphone to vibrate.
These vibrations are converted into an electrical current which becomes the audio signal.

72
Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic microphones are versatile and ideal for general-purpose use. They use a simple
design with few moving parts. They are relatively sturdy and resilient to rough handling.
They are also better suited to handling high volume levels, such as from certain musical
instruments or amplifiers. They have no internal amplifier and do not require batteries or
external power.

How does it work?

The dynamic microphone uses a wire coil and magnet to create the audio signal.The
diaphragm is attached to the coil. When the diaphragm vibrates in response to incoming
sound waves, the coil moves backwards and forwards past the magnet. This creates a
current in the coil which is channeled from the microphone along wires. A common
configuration is shown below.

Technical Note: Dynamics do not usually have the same flat frequency response as
condensers. Instead they tend to have tailored frequency responses for particular
applications.

Condenser Microphones
Condenser means ​capacitor​, an electronic component which stores energy in the form of an
electrostatic field. The term ​condenser is actually obsolete but has stuck as the name for

73
this type of microphone, which uses a capacitor to convert acoustical energy into electrical
energy.

Condenser microphones require power from a battery or external source. The resulting audio
signal is a stronger signal than that from a dynamic. Condensers also tend to be more sensitive
and responsive than dynamics, making them well-suited to capturing subtle nuances in a
sound. They are not ideal for high-volume work, as their sensitivity makes them prone to
distort.

How does it work?

A capacitor has two plates with a voltage between them. In the condenser mic, one of these
plates is made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm. The diaphragm vibrates when
struck by sound waves, changing the distance between the two plates and therefore changing
the capacitance. Specifically, when the plates are closer together, capacitance increases and a
charge current occurs. When the plates are further apart, capacitance decreases and a
discharge current occurs.

A voltage is required across the capacitor for this to work. This voltage is supplied either by a
battery in the mic or by external phantom power (+48v).

Technical Note: Condenser microphones have a flatter frequency response than dynamics.

How to Prevent Audio Distortion

Unwanted distortion is caused by a signal which is "too strong". If an audio signal level is
too high for a particular component to cope with, then parts of the signal will be lost. This
results in the rasping distorted sound. To illustrate this point, the pictures below represent
a few seconds of music which has been recorded by a digital audio program. The maximum

74
possible dynamic range (the range from quietest to loudest parts) of the signal is shown as
0 to +/-100 units.

In the first example (above), the amplitude (strength / height) of the signal falls
comfortably within the +/-100 unit range. This is a well-recorded signal.

In the second example, the signal is amplified by 250%. In this case, the recording
components can no longer accommodate the dynamic range, and the strongest portions of
the signal are cut off. This is where distortion occurs. These examples can be used as an
analogy for any audio signal. Imagine that the windows above represent a pathway through
a component in a sound system, and the waves represent the signal travelling along the
pathway. Once the component's maximum dynamic range is breached, you have distortion.

How to Prevent Feedback

Audio feedback is the ringing noise (often described as squealing, screeching, etc)
sometimes present in sound systems. It is caused by a "looped signal", that is, a signal
which travels in a continuous loop.

75
In technical terms, feedback occurs when the gain in the signal loop reaches "unity" (0dB
gain).

One of the most common feedback situations is shown in the diagram below - a
microphone feeds a signal into a sound system, which then amplifies and outputs the signal
from a speaker, which is picked up again by the microphone.

Of course, there are many situations which result in feedback. For example, the microphone
could be replaced by the pickups of an electric guitar. (In fact many guitarists employ
controlled feedback to artistic advantage. This is what's happening when you see a guitarist
hold his/her guitar up close to a speaker.)

To eliminate feedback, you must interrupt the feedback loop.

Here are a few suggestions for controlling feedback:

● Change the position of the microphone and/or speaker so that the speaker output
isn't feeding directly into the mic. Keep speakers further forward (i.e. closer to the
audience) than microphones.
● Use a more directional microphone.
● Speak (or sing) close to the microphone.
● Turn the microphone off when not in use.
● Equalise the signal, lowering the frequencies which are causing the feedback.
● Use a noise gate (automatically shuts off a signal when it gets below a certain
threshold) or filter.
● Lower the speaker output, so the mic doesn't pick it up.
● Avoid aiming speakers directly at reflective surfaces such as walls.
● Use direct injection feeds instead of microphones for musical instruments.
● Use headset or in-ear monitors instead of speaker monitors.

76
Other Notes:

● Feedback can occur at any frequency. The frequencies which cause most trouble will
depend on the situation but factors include the room's resonant frequencies,
frequency response of microphones, characteristics of musical instruments (e.g.
resonant frequencies of an acoustic guitar), etc.
● Feedback can be "almost there", or intermittent. For example, you might turn down
the level of a microphone to stop the continuous feedback, but when someone talks
into it you might still notice a faint ringing or unpleasant tone to the voice. In this
case, the feedback is still a problem and further action must be taken.

From the Vault:

Brood​,
By ​Dorms
Released July 12, 2019
5 Track EP
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered,
Produced by Quinn Riley

77
Microphone Positioning

Distance
The golden rule of microphone placement is ​get the distance right​. In general, place the
microphone as close as practical to the sound source without getting so close that you
introduce unwanted effects (see below).

The aim is to achieve a good balance between the subject sound and the ambient noise. In
most cases you want the subject sound to be the clear focus, filled out with a moderate or
low level of ambient noise. The desired balance will vary depending on the situation and
the required effect. For example, interviews usually work best with very low ambient noise.
However if you want to point out to your audience that the surroundings are very noisy
you could hold the mic slightly further away from the subject.

It is possible to get ​too​ close. Some examples:

● If a vocal mic is too close to the speaker's mouth, the audio may be unnaturally
bassy (boomy, excessive low frequencies). You are also likely to experience popping
and other unpleasant noises.
● A microphone too close to a very loud sound source is likely to cause distortion.
● Placing a mic too close to moving parts or other obstacles may be dangerous. For
example, be careful when micing drums that the drummer isn't going to hit the mic.

Phase Problems
When using more than one microphone you need to be wary of ​phasing​, or ​cancellation​.
Due to the way sound waves interfere with each other, problems can occur when the same
sound source is picked up from different mics placed at slightly different distances. A
common example is an interview situation in which two people each have a hand-held mic -
when one person talks they are picked up by both mics and the resulting interference
creates a phasing effect.

78
Think Laterally
You don't always have to conform to standard ways of doing things. As long as you're not
placing a microphone in danger there's no reason not to use them in unusual positions. For
example, lavalier mics can be very versatile due to their small size - they can be placed in
positions which would be unrealistic for larger mics.

From the Vault:

Broken Hearts,
Broken Arms​,
By ​Tommy Cooper
Released April 26, 2019
4 Track EP
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered,

Produced by Logan McKnight

79
Sweetwater Music EQ Frequency Cheatsheet
This Cheatsheet, provided for free online by Sweetwater, shows each instrument’s “magic
frequencies”: in other words, where the “good stuff” usually lies. Experiment with boosting
or reducing these “magic frequencies” when in the Mixing stage of the Project.

80
Acoustic Guitar Recording Techniques
This section is just a sample of the ever-growing Production Handbook, which you can find
here​.

Recording Methods

Basic Method
Materials Required:​ Large Condenser, Spider Mount, Mic Clip, Mic Stand, XLR Cable

Description:​ Position the Large Condenser between ½ and a full foot away from the sound
hole.

Notes
● To control “boominess,” point the Large Condenser slightly off-axis and towards the
right of the sound hole (from your perspective). If boominess continues, try moving
the Large Condenser slightly further away from the sound hole.

81
 ● Having problems with buzzing? There are a few causes. One is player experience

Mid-Side Method
Materials Required: ​Bi-directional capable large condenser microphone, Spider mount,
Small diaphragm condenser, Mic clip, Two mic stands, Two XLR cables.

Description: Position large condenser 6-12” away from the sound hole. Make sure the large
microphone is set to bi-directional. Rotate microphone so that the diaphragm is
perpendicular to the sound hole. Position small condenser on top of the large mic. Line up
the small condenser’s diaphragm directly in the middle of the diaphragm of the large mic.

Notes​:
● when setting up in your DAW, route to two seperate mic channels
● In post-production, double the channel of the bidirectional mic. Then HARD-PAN
one left, one right, and swap the phase on one of the channels. Balance between the
3 channels: left-right-center

Pattern:

Examples:

82
Blumlein Method
Materials Required: ​Two bi-directional microphones (ribbon or condenser), two shock
mounts, two stands (one if you have a blumlein bar), two XLR cables.

Description:​ Set up the microphones so that the two diaphragms(ribbons) are offset by 90
degrees. The musician should be positioned in a way that their instrument is being picked
up by both microphones equally. If multiple musicians, position each at one of “rounds” of
the mic pattern.

Notes​:
● Helps provide a natural reverb to recordings
● Set up as a stereo channel or in two seperate channels in the DAW
● Record in two seperate channels for easier surround sound post production

Pattern​:

Examples:​

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MARKETING
1st Edition by Cierra Alexandria, January 2020

The Marketing Department is tasked with fulfilling the promotional needs of Cat Family
Records. Those needs include (but are not limited to) branding, fulling marketing tasks for
Cat Family artists, and increasing conversions through targeted advertising for events,
merchandise, and organizational services.

Overall department responsibilities include:

1. Artist Promotion
2. Fundraising Promotion
3. Event Promotion
4. Merchandise Advertising
5. Other Organizational Needs (Branding, T.ART, Cat Family Studios, etc.)

Office Hours / Weekly Meetings

The Marketing Department meets every week at an agreed upon time and place. Volunteers
should ideally be prepared to dedicate at least ​5-10 hours each week toward Cat Family
duties. Official interns are responsible for any additional, university hourly requirements.
Coordinate with the Marketing Director and/or Volunteer Coordinator to ensure that
assigned tasks and scheduling sufficiently meet expectations.

WEEKLY MEETING TIME & PLACE

Wednesday, 5:30 pm at Boru Boru

This meeting is a designated workshop for volunteers to receive, complete, and submit
assignments. Bring a laptop and/or applicable mobile device. All volunteers will need
access to the web-based drives listed below. Contact the Marketing Director and/or
Volunteer Coordinator for any difficulty with access or comprehension.

General Cat Family Drive

Marketing Department Drive

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Understanding “The Google Drive” ​These are the main folders that marketing volunteers
may need access to:
Main Drive → ​Cat Famil​y At the top, you’ll see folders. Folders can be categorized by
color, but volunteers should not not edit the structure or contents of any folders
without prior approval.
“​Start Here​” → has introductory information that all volunteers should familiarize
themselves with.
“​Departments​” → contains a folder for each branch of the organization. Some will be
more relevant than others depending on assigned tasks.
“​Photos​” and “​Videos​” → contain content to be published generated by the Art
Department
“​PRINT​” → will have event flyers and also serves as a *request to print* for the
“Print Shop”

Job Descriptions
Marketing Director

Responsibilities:​ At all times, bear in mind the organizations’ Mission Statement

and sustain an attitude consistent with the ultimate intentions set forth by the
Catifesto. Manage marketing volunteers, maintain the general organization of the
Marketing Department’s Google Drive for ease of access by other team members.
Oversee development, completion, and execution of Content Marketing Plan (CMP).
Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure tasks and materials are timely
scheduled and published.

Requirements:​ This position is ideally held by someone who has been a reliable
member of the organization for at least a semester. Must have a proficient
understanding of general mass communications and social media marketing, at least
6 months experience in social media management is preferred. This is also a
management position which requires overseeing volunteer accountability and
coordination.

Social Media Manager/Account Managers

Responsibilities:​ ​Attend weekly marketing workshops. Complete all assigned tasks

in a timely manner. Assist relevant departments to schedule posts, create written

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 content, and publish content. Work with the Art Department to obtain and publish
graphics. Timely promotion of events, artist updates, organization products and
services, etc. Maintain a creative and professional social media presence when
publishing to Cat Family profile(s) while also following the provided Style Guides.
Engage with online networks.

Requirements:​ ​This position can be filled by a communications intern under the

guidance of a Marketing Director, otherwise at least 6 months experience in social
media management is preferred.

Analytics Specialist

Responsibilities:​ ​Collect and log analytics from social media, including numbers of
likes/followers, engagements, demographics, etc. Collect and log demographics from
show attendance. Collect and log quantitative data from merchandise sales. Collect
and log platforms to publish with based on analysis of results.

Requirements:​ This can be an entry-level position filled by a communications intern

under the guidance of a Marketing Director. Otherwise, at least 6 months experience
in social media management is preferred.

Street Team Volunteers

Responsibilities:​ Street Team is an organization-wide responsibility. Each member

of Cat Family is required to work at least two “Street Team” shifts per month. These
shifts include managing merch tables during Cat Family events as well as any
promotional table vending, chalking in high-foot-traffic areas for maximum
visibility, and posting show bills in designated areas.

Requirements:​ This is an entry level position.

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Procedures
Getting Started
1. First, familiarize yourself with all relevant Cat Family documents, templates, and
guides. Here’s a list of helpful marketing links to get you started:
Additional instructions may be included at the top of each doc.

Content Calendars
This folder contains the Content Calendars. These let you know when to post, what
to post, and who is responsible for. Ensure you’re on the proper tab at the bottom of
the sheet. (Events, Artist Promotion, etc.)
Posts for Review
This document is where drafted captions are submitted for review by the Writing
Department. Content is reviewed by the Marketing Director, grammar is reviewed
by an Editor.
Flyer Sign Up Sheet
This spreadsheet contains details for each event as well and links to event
pages. The Art Department utilizes this spreadsheet to ensure event flyers
are ready to be published in a timely manner.
Writing Style Guide
The style guide is a helpful tool when drafting copy.
Billboard Map
This spreadsheet contains lists of where Cat Family creative and copy should be
advertised. It includes locations for where to post flyers, where to chalk/street art
promote, what event calendars should be submitted to, and a list of contacts for
distributing press releases.
Door Survey Data
This is used during events to track effectiveness of marketing efforts and where to
invest additional resources.
Instagram Insights​ & F​ acebook Analytics
These are used track social media analytics

2. Access to social media accounts can be granted by the Marketing Director.

Facebook
If you are assigned to publishing posts, you will be sent a request to be an
“Editor” on Facebook. This request will be a “notification” on Facebook
pending approval. Once approved, volunteers can publish to Cat Family
Record’s Page
Facebook Chat
You will be added to group chats on Facebook. This is the primary form of
interdepartmental communications. Relevant chat groups for marketing

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 tasks may include: General Marketing, Art Department, and the Photo/Video
Chat.
Other Social Media Accounts
The log in for other relevant accounts (such as Instagram, TikTok, Submit
Hub, YouTube, etc.) will be provided on an as-needed basis.
3. Familiarize yourself with the below guidelines​. This standard is intended to ensure
content consistency across multiple platforms (with a focus on Facebook and
Instagram)

Marketing/ Social Media Style Guide:

Always use proper grammar and punctuation.
Cat Family Records is a proper singular noun → “Cat Family Records
presents”.
Use Oxford commas ✓
Create content that is concise and eye-catching but not lacking in
detail.
Draw the reader in with openers like “Live music tonight!” or “New
release!” plus a relevant emoji (not too many), and follow up with
show or release details (location, time, cover, etc.)

Language:
Political affiliation or advocacy? Hashtags and captions should not
include any political affiliation. As a 501(c)(3) we are not permitted to
endorse a particular party or candidate. This includes what we, as “Cat
Family Records,” likes, shares, retweets, etc., on all our social media
platforms. We can, however, advocate for nonpartisan issues like
voter registration or animal rights.

@ tags:
Always @tag the performing artist(s) in the caption and photos or
videos (if they are featured, and/or if it’s their photo/video/logo).
Always @tag the photographer or artist who contributed the content.
Always @tag the venue (if promoting a show, and the venue has an
official IG/Facebook).
Tags come in the caption not in the hashtag list.
In order to tag bands on Facebook you MAY need to “Like” their pages.
This can be​ especially​ necessary on the mobile app.
In order to tag personal pages, you MAY need to be “friends” with
their profile.

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 Instagram hashtags should be “commented” within the first 60
seconds of publishing a post to declutter captions and ensure good
placement on “Explore Page”.
#artwork #artworkoninstagram #artoftheday #artofinstagram
#artistic #artlovers #localartist #artistsofinstagram
#artistsoninstagram #artcall #gallerie #gallerie #coolart
#artbuyer
#musiclovers #locallove #livemusic #tour #art
#livemusicvenue #live #concert #cats #music
#catfamilyrecords #liveshow #DIY #localmusic #musicislife
#musicians #iheartally #musiciansofinstagram
Hashtags should include: #CatFamilyRecords
#artistname(s) #albumname ((or #EPname if relevant)
#venuename #tallahasseemusic #livemusic #localmusic
#tallahasseeart (or similar/relevant tags)
#genre(s) (if promoting a new release or a genre-specific show
lineup, etc.)
Beyond these, there should not be an overload of hashtags on any
post. Instagram allows up to 30, however please select a max of 10
and rotate hashtags that are popular to avoid “shadow banning”.

Cross-Posts to Facebook:
Opting to share to Facebook from Instagram is NOT recommended.
Tags do not translate and oftentimes are not the same on Instagram
and Facebook.
Double-check that the tags are correct, update if necessary to activate
tag.
Edit the caption to include full hyperlinks as necessary
If there is a reference to a show with a FB event page that already
exists, “mention”/tag the event page when updating the post text tags.

Stories:
All published posts should be shared to story, but add a little flavor.
Use GIFs and stickers, but make sure it’s appealing and not
overwhelming.
As mentioned above, be sure to tag all relevant profiles (artists,
musicians, venues etc.)

Examples:

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 Stories can be used to support aligned profiles/posts as well even if
not connected to a post published on Cat Family Record’s Instagrid.

When relevant, offering the opportunity to engage with stories on

Instagram is helpful for “beating the algorithms.” All Cat Family
members are encouraged to react to stories to increase engagement.

Scheduling

When scheduling posts, it’s important to consider optimal times for

maximum engagement. The following diagrams by ​Sprout Social give
a visual representation of peak times to publish posts for highest
potential engagement:

Media (Instagram)

“The best time for media companies to post on Instagram: Friday at 9

a.m.

Most consistent engagement: Wednesday through Friday from 8

a.m–4 p.m.

There’s also a period of higher engagement that lasts all the way
through Thursday night into Friday morning. It’s lower than the

90
 highest peak times, but it could be a unique time to capture audiences
that aren’t active in other industries’ niches.

Lowest engagement: Saturday and Sunday have the least engagement

for media companies on Instagram.”

Media (Facebook)

“Social is a crowded space for media companies vying for attention, and
the Facebook algorithm can make it especially difficult to find a place on
users’ feeds. Tap into these times to post to boost engagement:

The best times for media companies to post on Facebook: Tuesday at 5

p.m. and Friday from 8–9 a.m.

Other top times: Wednesday from 8–9 a.m., Wednesday at 5 p.m. and
Thursday at 5 p.m.

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Most consistent engagement: Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m

Lowest engagement: Sunday and every day from 10 p.m.–3 a.m.”

Non-Profit (Instagram)

“The best time for nonprofits to post to Instagram: Wednesday at 2

p.m.

Most consistent engagement: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Other high engagement times include Monday from 2–3 p.m., Tuesday
from 1–3 p.m. and a relatively strong block of time on Saturday from
1–2 p.m.

Lowest engagement: Sunday gets the least engagement, as well as

every day from 11 p.m.–5 a.m.”

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Non-Profit (Facebook)

“The best time for nonprofits to post on Facebook: Wednesday at 8–9 a.m.

Other high engagement times: Thursday at 10 a.m. and Friday 8-10 a.m.

Most consistent engagement: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lowest engagement: Saturday and Sunday show the least engagement per
day, and with the worst times being 10 p.m.–5 a.m. every day.”

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Artist Promotion
1. Assist A&R in managing and executing artist marketing plans.12 You can find an
example marketing plan here: ​Artist Releases​. These guidelines include
goals/timelines for the Marketing Department leading up to the release of an album,
video, and/or tour.

Overall goals for new releases:

Album features, coverage, reviews and/or blogs in 9 publications

Album “Single” played on 18 college radio stations & placed on 18

Spotify playlists. Note that, depending on acceptance rates, overall

​Coordinate with A&R to determine individual artist needs. At present, signed artists are independently
12

managing their own social media pages. However, this is subject to change at any time. In the future, Social
Media/Account Managers may be assigned to individual, artist and/or other accounts, based on overall need.

94
 numbers of submissions will vary per artist but should exceed 90+ for
both college radio stations and playlists of all types.

2. Content Collection & Creation (3-6 months before new releases)

Generate 3 unique photo + text combinations to publish.

These are for Instagram/Facebook advertisements

Make them general, or dial them into specific markets that need to
improve (i.e. if the artist is going to be touring in certain areas).

Focus on relevant headlines/captions

A&R will work with the Art Department to coordinate artist

photoshoots. While some images may already be available, at least
one photoshoot should accompany each new release.

Account Managers are responsible for scheduling and coordinating

the publishing of social media posts and press releases.

Make them general, or dial them into specific markets that need to
improve (i.e. if the artist is going to be touring in certain areas).

Focus on relevant headlines/captions

Promo video(s)

A&R will work with the Art Department to coordinate video shoots
and music videos.

Account Managers are responsible for scheduling and coordinating

social media posts and press releases.

3. 3 Months Before Release

Written Press

Work with Writing Department to draft a Press Release announcing

the record/tour

Gather a list of weeklies/bi-weeklies and any local news outlets in the

markets where an artist may be playing on tour. Here’s a list of local
examples:

95
 1. Tallahassee Democrat
2. FSU View
3. FSU News
4. Moose Magnificat
5. FAMU Forward
6. T.ART
7. COCA

Write the first editorial pitch to send to music magazines and blogs
that would be interested in the record. This could be an Interview
with the band, an exclusive pre-listen, single leak, or album review.

Draft content for email newsletter blast(s).

Radio/Streaming promo

Gather a list of stations and DJ’s that might want to spin their
record(s). Be diligent in researching and collecting accurate
information and only choose playlists and DJ’s that would be
interested in playing their music.

Guidance on Playlisting

CD Baby Distribution Checklist

Social Media

Work with A&R to begin planning a Live-In-Studio-Stream of the

album to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or other live streaming
platforms.

Work with A&R to plan a Q&A session with the band to discuss the
album and announce it to their audience so they can prepare
questions.

Draft/Schedule/Publish any content developed to promote

album/tour/general release. You can recycle this content into an
interview pitch to editorials later in the PR campaign.

Touring

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 Work with the Art Department to obtain the Tour/Album/Release
Poster, Album Artwork, advertising materials, and any other design
work you may need

4. 2 Months Before Release

All written press and video promo material should be finished and
scheduled.

Work with the Writing Department to prepare an editorial pitch offering the
exclusive release and coverage of the album single/release.

Determine which markets will receive the most attention for your
advertising and marketing efforts.

5. 1 Month Before Release

Send editorial pitch with early access to the album and ask publications for
an album review. Can be used for traditional press outlets like newspapers
and magazines as well as blogs and other online publications

Open up album pre-sales to the public to bring in some revenue and help
offset marketing expenses

Publish scheduled/approved posts announcing release/tour to Cat Family

Record’s Social Media13

When applicable

Work with A&R and Events Departments to create FB specific event

pages for each show on the tour to be used as landing pages for your
marketing efforts14

Double check that all ticket purchase links are accurate and working

Utilize any merchandise as content to help promote album

pre-sales/release or just any new merchandise

13
​If managing artist pages, announce there as well. Be mindful of voice when transitioning from page to page.
14
Typically, venues / local promoters are already doing this. However, reach out to determine if we need to or
not. Make sure they're adding us as a co-host.

97
 Ensure drafted posts are reviewed and approved for: Facebook marketing,
Instagram marketing, IG and Snapchat story marketing, email newsletter
marketing, etc.

Activate your Street Team members to begin spreading physical promotion

and posters

Create a finalized plan for digital advertising in each relevant market that
emphasizes show/tour/release awareness and ticket giveaways

6. Release Day!

Listen / Share / Promote

Listen

Opt to indulge in the latest release on your platform of choice.

Share

Ensure that a link that takes users directly to the release is available on Cat
Family social media pages. Share with your friend too!

Promote

Share promotional posts from the artist page, streaming platforms, etc. to Cat
Family’s social media feeds. Maintain consistent presence on Cat Family’s
stories every other day for at least one week.

Event Promotion
Before an Event

1. Manage Social Media Posts

Event related posts should be​ scheduled​ as much as a month out.

Captions for event promotions should be ​drafted no later than two weeks in
advance of an event. Depending on the event, more lead time may be
necessary (i.e. Cat Fest).

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 Review ​Event Calendar​/​Flyer Sign Up Sheet and the FACEBOOK
EVENT for details prior to drafting captions
Schedule/organize posts in the Content​ Calendar​.

Include “show re-cap” posts when scheduling. These are subject to

creative delays. Ideally PHOTO recaps should be published no later
than one week following an event. VIDEO recaps are ready anywhere
from one week to one month following an event.

Once posts are scheduled, begin drafting each caption in the ​Posts for Review
spreadsheet. Posts should be drafted at least TWO WEEKS before the event.
(More lead time may be needed for larger events (i.e. Cat Fest))

Files within the ​Event/Art Flyers folder generally serve as the image,
but post drafting does come with creative control. Using approved
artist photos, music etc. is also encouraged.

Show/Event ​photos and ​videos for re-caps are provided by the Art
Department.

Post captions should include pertinent information about the

event/show/subject.

Captions should be drafted to “tag” all that apply: artist profiles (who
is performing, who contributed to imagery? etc.), event location pages,
and event pages.

Posts must be curated for each individual platform (i.e. Facebook tags
for artists differ from Instagram tags).

Properly utilize hashtags as stated in the style guidance above to

increase visibility on “Explore Page” (Instagram)

Contact reviewer for approval/publishing. Send the link for ​Posts to be

Reviewed​, to the Marketing Group Chat and ​TAG the editor to notify them
there is a post pending review. Once posts are approved, prepare to publish
on schedule.

When publishing, have the pictures saved to your photo reel to upload.
Selecting multiple photos may require some discretion to ensure graphics or
pictures are not clipped. Toggling these tools in Instagram can help to avoid
this issue:

99
 Once posts are published, share the post to “stories” and use eye-catching gifs
to increase engagement. Be sure to appropriately tag artists/venues here as
well. Interactive stickers are helpful to “bump” the story towards the front of
follower’s feeds.

Engage on all social media platforms in a timely manner because algorithms.

(Other department heads have access to social media profiles and sometimes
respond to department specific inquiries.)

Respond to comments (w/a “like” or a reply) using your best

judgement.

Respond to direct messages OR inform the appropriate department

head if a technical response is required. ​Leaving messages unread is
not ideal for obvious reasons. If you happen to mark something
unread, please ensure it is resolved as soon as possible.

“Follow” users that engage with brand-aligned profiles.

Engage with brand-aligned profiles

2. Update ​Event Calendars​ with show descriptions.

The spreadsheet linked above provides a list of local event calendars that we
can utilize to advertise for free.

Ensure Calendars receive Cat Family submissions at least one month in

advance of an event.

Follow the link and fill out the forms provided with corresponding show
details.

Indicate completion of this task with initials and the date the event was
submitted.

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3. Post Show Bills (Flyers).

Ensure show bills are posted no later than three weeks in advance of an
event. (Subject to creative delays from graphics to surprise shows/events.)

The ​Volunteer Sign Up Sheet​ indicates when flyers should be posted.

Use ​Billboard Map​ to assist in determining HOW MANY prints are needed.

(For tabling, generally 20 quarter-sized flyers are needed per tabling session)

Obtain event flyer files from ​Art Department

Order event flyers from “​Print Shop​.”

Place needed flyers in​ Print Folder​. Labels should include:

Your name
Size of prints needed
Quality of prints needed
Color preferences
Number of prints needed

Examples
Jess_8.5x11_LQ_FullColor(27)
Mark_QuarterFlyers_LQ_B&W(18)
Laila_11x17_HQ_FullColor(9)

Notify “​Print Shop​” that an order has been placed.

Coordinate pick up of flyers with print shop.

Again, please ensure flyers are posted no later than 3 weeks in advance of
show/event if possible. (Please don’t waste paper/ink. $$$)

There are designated community boards around town that the organization
regularly uses to advertise events. Use ​Billboard Map to assist in
determining where to post show bills.

Add date to corresponding event column.

This list is ever-changing and not exhaustive. Volunteers are

encouraged to add to and edit this lists locations as necessary!

101
 Please be mindful and respectful to standards unique to each business
with regard to when and where to post bills.

No littering

4. Chalking

This is a form of promotion where the volunteer has full creative control. The
purpose is to create temporary chalk art in high-foot-traffic areas to promote
events.

The ​Volunteer Sign Up Sheet​ indicates when chalking should be completed.

Options for where to chalk are almost endless. Currently CFR does not have a
“hot-spot” map for chalking (yet) and so where to chalk is up to the
discretion of the volunteer.

Volunteers can chalk on campuses and other brand-aligned districts that are
often populated by many pedestrians.

Only chalk on flat, horizontal surfaces that will be exposed to direct

contact with precipitation. Anything else is considered “vandalism,” and
can (and will) negatively impact our community relationships. No
chalking on walls or in covered areas, please!

Send a picture and location description to the Marketing Director of each to

verify completion.

Example

102
5. Table

See “Tabling” procedure below.

During an Event

1. Go to the event.
At least one Account Manager should be present at each show. We can
rotate this responsibility.
2. Publish a story during each set.
Be sure to include the Cat Family sticker.
Tag artist/s.
Identify and tag who’s up next.
If the final act is performing, simply thank everyone for attending.
Example

103
After an Event

1. Post Event Recaps on Facebook and Instagram

The Art Department provides photo and video content after each show.
Account Managers are expected to follow up on recap content if nothing has
been mentioned within the week following an event.
Ideally this is published within 24 hours of receiving from the Art
Department.
Ten highlight photos are selected for Instagram.
Full albums are created for Facebook and feature all the photos provided by
the photographer(s).

Recap PHOTO posts - Instagram at present only allows for 10 photos

to be uploaded. Select the 10 best photos from the reel. Post ALL
photos to Facebook. Ensure to include language for folks to “tag their
friends” to encourage sharing for increased reach/impressions.

Recap VIDEO posts may need to be reformatted and/or split.

Instagram only allows for one-minute videos.

104
 In the event there are multiple photographers, there should be an
album/post for each.
Recommendation is to draft these posts separately instead of group-sharing
via Instagram since generally more are posted to Facebook.
Examples:

105
 Ensure to advertise posts by publishing stories to drive traffic. Interactive
stories are always encouraged. Also be sure to tag all related artists and
contributors (videographers/photographers).

2. Track Market Research

Data Management Processes:

Take data from recent ​Door Surveys and log into ​spreadsheet​. This
information helps to steer future marketing efforts and allocated
budgets.

Obtain merchandise tracking records from tabling staff to insert in the

database for tracking purposes.

Collect insights from social media engagements and log data into
corresponding analytics spreadsheets. (​Instagram​ & ​Facebook​).

Analyze data.

106
 Advise Marketing Department based on what is portrayed by the data
collected.

Tabling

Cat Family regularly tables to promote upcoming events as well as at each organizational
event. If assigned to table for an event,

1. Arrive on time. ​Coordinate with the Marketing Director and/or the Volunteer
Coordinator to establish timing and event expectations. First shift may need to
coordinate obtaining the table and tabling box from the Volunteer Coordinator.
2. Check in with the relevant event leadership to establish or reaffirm tabling location
and event details and requirements. Once a location is confirmed,
3. Set up the table using the contents of the tabling box. This box will usually be
delivered by the Marketing Director. This task includes creative control. There is no
set way to display merch on a table; but, ideally, it should be organized alongside
our CFR logo in a way that can, at the very least, be described as “appealing.”
4. Count the contents of the merch and log the inventory into the designated book.
The book identifies what information is required from merchandising for record
keeping.
5. Be engaging and responsive​, especially to the people who demonstrate interest in
the table. Initiate engagement (when appropriate). It’s important to be inviting and
informative. This is essentially a customer service role, and the volunteer is like the
greeter :)
6. Sales ​should be accurately logged and accounted for. Document the number of items
sold in the corresponding cells on the log sheet. Cash/Card/Venmo/Cash App are all
valid means of receiving payment. If there is no change in the cash box, exact change
may be required. Square Reader and iPhone converters are located in the tabling
boxes supply section or in the cash box.
Venmo: @CatFamily
CashApp: @CatFamRec
7. At the end of the shift, neatly return all items to the box and perform a final count of
inventory.
8. Record inventory.
9. Go home.
10. Sleep.

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Administrative Structure
The Marketing Department is composed of a Marketing Director, Social Media
Managers/Account Managers, Analytics Specialists, and Street Team Volunteers.

1. The Marketing Director

Attends weekly Department Head meetings, and coordinates with and determines
the marketing needs of all other departments.

Other CFR Departments are connected to Marketing in the following ways:

Events & Booking provides event schedules and posts event pages that the
Marketing Department utilizes as guidance when developing content
(captions/stories) for social media posts to advertise/promote
The ​Art Department develops content (including show flyers, as well as photo and
video coverage of events) to be published
Merchandising informs Marketing about products available to be promoted online
and/or for tabling inventory
Budget & Finance receives tracking information and documentation from tabling
activities
Production works with Marketing as needed to promote releases and/or projects
as well as advertising studio services
A&R ​provides information on current projects that may require label-wide
publishing versus individual artist public relations/social media management, etc.
Writing collaborates with social media for content development and also provides
updates on T.ART when necessary for promotional purposes

The Marketing Director notifies the Marketing Department of mission critical

information from weekly Department Head meetings and organizes weekly
marketing workshops.15

During workshops, the Marketing Director prioritizes and assigns tasks, given the
following lead-time preferences:

2. Social Media Managers/Account Managers

Obtain any pertinent info discussed at Department Head meeting from

Marketing Director
15
Workshops provide office hours for completing assignments. They should NOT be the only time dedicated
to Cat Family assignments. The ability to reliably work remotely will be necessary. Writing workshops are
held weekly and attendance is required. A&R workshops are held weekly and may be required.

108
 Coordinate with the corresponding Department Head based on assigned
duties.

General management of assigned social media pages.

Adhering to time sensitive nature of social media engagement

A&R
At least one Account Manager should be present at A&R meetings each week.
That person is responsible for relaying information to members that could
not attend
Correspond with A&R Director and Artist Representatives for the marketing
needs and timelines of assigned artists.

Events and booking

Check Events Schedule for updates
Is there any new flyer art available? Have any graphics due dates passed? If
so, prep for post or follow up.
Schedule posts in ​Content Calendar or events no later than three weeks in
advance of an event. Depending on the event, more lead time may be
necessary (e.g., Cat Fest).
Review of content is required via ​approval process
Post show bills no later than three weeks in advance of an event.16

Social Media Managers ​ (Merchandising, T.ART, & Production)

Correspond with Marketing, Writing, and Production Directors to ensure
pending tasks are completed in a timely manner.

Coordinate with corresponding Department Head for any necessary updates

Schedule content for publishing.

Correspond with the Merchandising Director to ensure pending tasks are

completed in a timely manner.

Develop content for publishing

Request approval of content for publishing

3. Analytics Specialists

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This assumes no creative delays from graphics or surprise shows/events.

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 Primarily responsible for data management and analysis
Obtain hard copies of Door Surveys from Volunteer Coordinator
Log data into ​Door Survey Spreadsheet

Obtain Social Media Analytics data

Log data into corresponding spreadsheets:
Instagram Insights
Facebook Analytics

Generate summary to present to Marketing Director review for marketing strategies

Future Goals
For 2020, we hope to
1. Hit 900,000 streams!
2. Sell 900 t-shirts!
3. Help raise $9,000!
4. Gain 2,700 new followers (from all platforms combined)!

Over the next few months, we hope to

1. Provide more workshops and learning opportunities for volunteers and community
members. These opportunities include presentations from marketing professionals
as well as materials for volunteers to review that contain applicable industry
practices (such as recommended podcasts.)

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ART DEPARTMENT
1st Edition by April Cluess, January 2020

The Art Department is made up of the Art Director, their assistant(s), volunteers, and
interns. ​The main priority of the Art Department is any and all creative tasks​. The
department is responsible for curating and creating quality visual content for any purposes
necessary for Cat Family Records, their signed artists, and affiliated causes. The art
department, at its core, has the responsibility of caring for the local creative community by
providing opportunities for Tallahassee artists to exercise their skills and display their
work. All bodies involved should be driven to succeed and encourage the success of those
around them.

Directory Link​ ​(keep updated with everyone’s information)

Office Hours / Weekly Meetings

The Art Department meets every week at an agreed upon time and place. All volunteers are
required to dedicate a minimum of ​4 hours each week to Cat Family duties. This includes
Cat Family Meetings. Volunteers should bring their laptops and anything else relevant to
their positions.

Art Department Google Drive

Meeting notes, contact info (directory), etc. can all be found there. We need to keep it up to
date and contribute accordingly. The rest of the CFR drive can be a bit confusing, so
bookmarking might save you from some accidental journey into the digital labyrinth.

Art Department drive

Style Guide

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Job Descriptions
Art Director

Responsibilities:​ Oversees all artistic projects. Attends weekly department head

meetings and monthly art department meetings. Communicates with sub-heads of
the art department to ensure all projects are completed in a timely manner and up
to standard with the Cat Family Records “brand.” Schedules shifts for interns.
Coordinates creative projects between departments and with artist representatives.
Collects and assigns flyer graphics for print up to Style Guide standards. Recruits
outside volunteers for special projects as needed. Encourages all interns to
advertise upcoming events. Organizes, curates, and directly assists in Pop-T.ART
events. Provides stylistic guidance and critique on zine design. Is the point of contact
for all issues or questions about the art department. Facilitates weekly meetings
with Graphic Designers, Assistant to the Art Director, Stylists, and any other
volunteers who might fall under other categories. Facilitates monthly art
department meetings.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio and 2 years of experience in a leadership

role. Deeply connected to the local Tallahassee art community. Must be diplomatic
and engaged in community outreach and inclusion. Must be driven to elevate all
aspects of community art and culture. Basic knowledge of the adobe suite. Ability to
multitask and maintain organization while doing so. Graphic design experience.
Must have a laptop and/or easy access to a computer.

Assistant to the Art Director

Responsibilities:​ Assists with intern management. Maintains intern contact

information, portfolio links, etc. in the directory. Attends department head meetings
and intern meetings. Coordinates graphic designers, photographers, and
videographers as needed. Reviews portfolios with the art director. Provides
feedback on current projects. Organizes information in the drive as needed. Assists
in keeping Pop-T.ART events coordinated and orderly.

Requirements:​ Strong organizational skills and self-starter energy. Excel/Google

Docs/Microsoft Word experience. Willing to learn new skills in order to assist
interns as needed.

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Photography Head

Responsibilities:​ Coordinates photographers and ensures that each Cat Family

event is covered accordingly. Follow up with photographers to ensure that photos
are uploaded in a timely manner and in the correct location. Facilitates photography
workshops and on-site training. Supervises photography interns and offers
guidance. Ensures that all photography coincides with the Cat Family style guide.
Fulfills all of the responsibilities of a Photographer.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. Experience with DSLR cameras and event
shooting. Experience with photoshop. Has access to a computer. Strong
organizational and communication skills.

Video Head

Responsibilities:​ Coordinates videographers and video editors to ensure that each

Cat Family event is covered accordingly. Follows up with videographers to ensure
that videos are edited and uploaded in a timely manner (and in the correct location).
Facilitates videography workshops and on-site training or guidance. Supervises
videography interns and offers guidance. Ensures that all videography coincides
with the Cat Family style guide. Fulfills all of the responsibilities of a Videographer
and Video Editor.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. Experience with DSLR cameras and event
shooting. Experience with photoshop and premiere pro. Has access to a computer.
Preferred skills: experience with after effects, isadora, and processing.

Graphic Designer

Responsibilities:​ Creates flyers, social media graphics, and other imagery which
complies with the CFR “vibe.” Keeps in accordance with the style guide. Attends
weekly meetings. Promptly sends finished graphics to the Art Director and Assistant
Director by their due dates. Does not use Times New Roman. Submits their imagery
in a timely manner. Collaborates with signed artists to create album artwork.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. Experience with photoshop, indesign, and

adobe illustrator. Has access to a computer.

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Photographer

Responsibilities:​ Photographs events, promotional imagery, and photoshoots for

signed artists. Attends weekly meetings. Uploads all files to the appropriate (​photos​)
folder no later than 48 hours after an event. Collaborates with signed artists to
create album artwork. Always incorporates crowd shots into their event shoots.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. Experience with photoshop, indesign, and

adobe illustrator. Has access to a computer. Has their own photography equipment
(or access to it). Willingness to go beyond in order to ‘get the shot.’

Videographer

Responsibilities:​ Shoots footage of events and creates promotional videos/music

videos for signed artists. Creates new video projects to promote Cat Family Records
message and events. Attends weekly meetings. Uploads all files to the appropriate
(​video​) folder within 5 days of an event. Edits their own footage with their own
software. Always incorporates crowd shots into their event shoots. Make sure all
genres involved are highlighted in their final product.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. 6 months experience with video editing.

Has access to a computer. Has their own video equipment. Willingness to go beyond
in order to ‘get the shot.’

Video Editor

Responsibilities:​ Edits footage of events, promotional videos, and music videos for
signed artists in accordance with the style guide. Creates new video projects to
promote Cat Family Records message and events. Attends weekly meetings. Uploads
all files to the appropriate (​video​) folder within 5 days of an event. Makes sure all
genres involved are highlighted in their final product.

Requirements:​ Strong creative portfolio. 6 months experience with video editing —

premiere pro and after effects. Has access to a computer. Has their own video
equipment.

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Stylist

Responsibilities:​ Has a clear understanding of a signed artist’s aesthetic. Does the

necessary research to adequately guide the artist’s styling. Assists in choosing
clothing for official photoshoots. Assists signed artists in cultivating their own
fashion, taste, etc.

Requirements:​ Strong portfolio. Has a good fashion sense and understands basic
color theory. Personable, perceptive, and easy to work with.

Procedures
1. Making Flyers
Flyer work is constantly needed. It is important to ​check the facebook chat daily.
This is where most flyer requests will be sent. Alternatively, you can check the flyer
directory to see what projects are still open.
If you decide you would like to make a flyer for a certain event, make sure to discuss
this with the Art Director before you begin. Someone may have already been offered
this project. Once approved to work on the flyer, you can sign up via the ​FLYER
DIRECTORY where you will find all of the information that is mandatory to include
on the flyer. The due date, which is very important to stick to, will also be displayed
in red.
Before working on your image, look over the ​guidelines: ​Image Guidelines + ​Style
Guide​ otherwise it cannot be used.
Design​:
The main goal of your flyer is to express your own creative identity while grabbing
the attention of passersby. Flyers are often collected and should be made with the
intention of both selling our event and looking good on someone’s wall. Take into
account the theme or genre of the event you are promoting. This should be
incorporated into your design.
Be creative, take risks, and reach out to the Art Director / Art Dept chat for feedback
while working. The Cat Family drive is full of previous flyers which you can use for
inspiration. Make something you will be proud to put in your portfolio.

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 Make sure that all text is legible from far away — especially the important points
(the date, time, location).
Photosho​p:
When you create a new file, make sure that it is at least at 300 DPI and in an 8.5 x 11
format. Printify suggests a size similar to 4500 x 5100 px. While you can make a
version that has a colorful background, this can only be used online. ​Always export
the image with a transparent background.
Submission​:
Once you are happy with your design, feel it conveys the overall vibe of the
upcoming event, and will grab people’s attention from both afar and up close, you
will contact the Art Director for approval. Send the image to them via facebook
messenger or by email. They will either approve your design or offer helpful critique
to make it stronger. Once you get the approval of the Art Director, add your design
to the ​Print folder with a title that falls in line with what is outlined in the style
guide. This will be printed and distributed around town and on campus. It will also
be posted on the Cat Family Record instagram as well as the facebook page. Make
sure to add your social media in the flyer sign-up sheet so that you are credited for
your hard work. **​You must also post a link to your design in the Art
Department chat so that Marketing can use it to post on social media/it can be
printed.

2. Pop-T.ART
Pop-T.ART events are a collaboration between Cat Family Records and 621 Gallery.
These events provide Tallahassee creatives a unique opportunity to exercise their
talents and meet like-minded individuals. The job of the Art Director is to curate an
art exhibition for the event.
First Meetin​g:
The Art Director will communicate with the director of 621 Gallery, Cat Family
Records’ Events Coordinator, and all dept heads about the date of the upcoming
Pop-T.ART event. This is done with local school schedules in mind — when are more
people in town and what other events might we compete with? These, and others,
are important considerations for a successful show.
Initial Plans:
The Art Director, who attends weekly department head meetings, will discuss this
event with the events coordinator as well as all of the department heads. Once a

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roundabout date is discussed, the Art Director will communicate this with the
director of 621 Gallery.
Meet with 621 Gallery Director​:
The Art Director in addition to (possibly) Scott Bell and an assistant to the art
director meet with the director of 621 Gallery to discuss details about the event. The
important topics to touch on include:
1. The date of the event
2. The event theme
3. Will there be an open call for art vendors?
4. Food vendors?
5. What artists will you reach out to for this specific show?
6. Who will be helping organize and what will their tasks be?
7. What to include in the open call
8. When will applications be reviewed?
9. The date of the next meeting
10. What is the budget + what materials will be needed. How many lights?
Extension cords? Flyers? Decor?
Open Call/Advertise​:
After the initial meeting, it’s important to create an open call to artists and reach out
to individuals wanted in the show. The Art Director should ask an intern to create a
flyer (or make one themselves) with the deadline, theme, expectations, and the date
of the event. This is to be shared on Cat Family’s facebook and instagram and 621
Gallery’s social media.
Post to FSU’s art department, FAMU, and TCC. This is also a good time to reach out
to potential vendors — artists, services, and food vendors.
Task an intern with creating a flyer for the overall event as well so that this graphic
is ready to be sent with an acceptance email so that accepted artists can advertise.
Application Review​:
The Art Director is responsible for reviewing artist applications, and meeting with
the director of 621 Gallery to discuss (if they are available, this is not required).
Accepting a diverse group of individuals — undergrads, graduate students, locals,
and artists affiliated with all schools in the area — is very important in order to
bring sections of the community together that may not always merge. Strong
applications will display passion, a certain self-awareness, and feasibility within the
venue.

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Once the artists are selected, the Art Director will send out accepted/declined
emails. Acceptance letters include:
1. Thank you
2. Acceptance — date of the event/time/location
3. Request their preferred social media and an artist statement
4. Inform them of the first on site meeting
Declined letters include:
1. Thank you
2. Not accepted / please try again next round
3. Invitation to the event -- suggest as a way to see what the event calls for
On-Site Meeting:
It is important to meet at the venue with all artists, Art Director, assistant to the art
director, 621 Gallery Director, and CFR President. This should happen sometime
soon after the first or second meeting. This is where you will discuss spatial layout,
materials needed, and anything else important for moving forward. At the end of
this meeting, you will have a layout that can be translated into a map. This is
something for a design intern to create and to be added to a website or printed out
for the day of the event.
Administrative Tasks​:
Pop-T.ART features the release of T.ART Zine. The contact information of each
exhibiting artist, their “tag information”, and artist statement should be sent to both
the Writing Department Head and the Marketing Team. These are used to fill out the
facebook event page and to include the artists in the current zine issue.
The Art Director will task a design intern to create a pamphlet outlining each artist
involved and their artist statements. This will be distributed during the event. Tags
should also be printed and include the title, artist name, year, and
medium/dimensions. These are to be printed and placed beside the work they
represent during install.
Vendors​:
FSU clubs and independent artists should be invited to ‘table’ at the event. They are
required to bring their own equipment, and are charged a $20 fee to be paid the day
of the event. These funds are then used for future Pop-T.ART events. Chairs, tables,
tents, and lighting are essential. While vendors are required to bring tables and
seating, 621 Gallery provides lighting if vendors do not have their own. They must

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 be notified of the potential for rain as well as the fact that they are to be sat outside.
Vendors are not to be located indoors.
Install​:
During installation, there must be someone on-site to offer artist assistance. Lighting
and extension cords are provided by 621 or CFR, so all other materials are the
responsibility of the artist. Install for Pop-T.ART should be 1-2 days before the
event. Make sure to label all shared materials. Put up all labels for artwork and artist
statements. Think about how the exhibits will be interacting with large crowds —
are they safe, will they be obstructed, will they create a good point of interest, etc.
The Show:
The Art Director and assistant will set up all lighting, help set up tables/direct
vendors to their spaces at the show. Vendors can pay for their space the day of the
event and payment should be collected by the Art Director, 621 Director, or
President of Cat Family Records. Set up all artwork that needs setting — turn on
TVs/devices/etc. Make sure all cords are out of the way of foot traffic. Enjoy the
show!
Deinstall​:
All artists should collect their work within 2 days after the event. Leave the space as
it was originally. Assist with cleanup the day after the event. Send any footage to the
artists, post thank you messages on social media, and individually thank all of the
vendors/artists for exhibiting.

3. ​Video Editing/Shooting
Ideally, the video editor will have recorded the footage they are about to edit. On
occasion, volunteers/interns may collaborate on projects and must find an easy way
to share footage. This can be done by sharing the Cat Family hard drive, which is
kept by the Art Director. Alternatively, the videographer may decide to use
OneDrive or Google Drive links to share footage between each other.
The video editor will ​sign up for the show they would like to shoot by placing their
name on the provided sign up sheet. When shooting, keep in mind that the purpose
of this video is to thank the guests, highlight the artists, and promote Cat Family
Records/the venue. Try to capture the best parts of all facets. What makes this
venue unique? How do you know it's a Cat family event? How did the crowd react?
Try to capture all components of the musical act as well — not just the vocalist.
Crowd shots are also very important.

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 If there is artwork at the show, please document this! Artist documentation is very
important for their career and is a great courtesy for us to provide this for them. It is
also important for promotion. Make sure the work is not obstructed by people,
objects, or lighting.
When you have your footage, the procedures found in the previously linked Style
Guide should be followed. Make the video exciting, attention grabbing, and
descriptive of the event. Always include a shot of the crowd.
Once the video is created, upload it to the Video folder and post this share link to the
Art Department chat for approval. Keep in mind you may be asked to make edits to
your ‘finalized’ submission. To upload the files, follow this path in the Drive: Cat
Family > VIDEOS > [Year] > [Month] > [Venue, Date]. If an event folder is not already
in the drive, create one with the following format: month folders shall be formatted
as such: JANUARY20 (Month/Year), and event folders shall be formatted as such:
The Wilbury, 1.1.20 (Venue, Date).

4. ​Photography
Events
All Cat Family Records events need to be covered by a Photographer. Photographers
must sign up on the “Events Volunteer Sign Up Sheet” prior to the event. On the day
of the event, the Photography Head is to check in with the Photographer(s) signed
up to ensure they will be shooting the show. The Photographer will identify
themselves to the doorman and be permitted free entry to the show, displaying a
Cat Family press pass if requested.
Band shots, crowd shots, and venue shots should all be considered when
documenting shows. Photographer creativity is encouraged as long as the
fundamental requirements are met (see the ​Photography Guidelines for more
information).
All photos should be edited promptly and uploaded to the Drive within 48 hours of
the event. To upload the files, follow this path in the Drive: Cat Family > PHOTOS >
[Year] > [Month] > [Venue, Date]. If an event folder is not already in the drive, create
one with the following format: month folders shall be formatted as such:
JANUARY20 (Month/Year), and event folders shall be formatted as such: The
Wilbury, 1.1.20 (Venue, Date).
Merchandise Photos
When photos of merchandise are needed, it is the responsibility of the Art Director
or the Photography Head to coordinate Photographer(s) and schedule a shoot. The

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 Stylists can help stage these shoots if desired. Merchandise photos must clearly
display the product in question in good taste.

Artist Photos
When artist photos are needed, it is the responsibility of the Art Director or the
Photography Head to coordinate Photographer(s) and schedule a shoot. The Stylists
are strongly encouraged to assist with these shoots. The Photographer, Stylist, and
Artist should all communicate ​before the shoot in question to discuss expectations,
aesthetic directions, and all other facets of the shoot.
Note: All Photographers retain the rights to their images and are encouraged
to use them for their portfolio. By volunteering to shoot for Cat Family
Records, you are granting permission for the organization to use your photos
on event pages, the website, social media, and any and all other promotional
materials. Photographers will receive credit for their images when they are
used for event recap posts on social media.

5. ​Album Art
Coordinating with Artists and Repertoire (A&R) to keep in touch with what bands
need regarding artists. This is the responsibility of either the Art Director or the
Photography Head, depending on the given project. Artists are given deadlines for
album artwork that is kept in accordance with the style of the musical artist they are
assigned to.

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WRITING DEPARTMENT
1st Edition by Emily Purvis and Alaina Manning, January 2020

The Mission/Goal:
The writing team is made up of the Writing Director, their assistant(s), volunteers, and
interns. The writing team is responsible for written works to be published in the zine,
T.ART, on the upcoming blog, supplemental writing for artists, editing social media posts
for consistency, and grant writing. The mission of the writing team is to give the flourishing
creative communities an opportunity to be recognized, connect those communities, and
additionally give a platform for the countless writers within our city to have a voice. Every
individual involved should be driven to succeed and encourage the success of those around
them. Writers should feel equally promoted in their work as all other content that Cat
Family takes pride in featuring. The writing department can also be addressed as the
general written communications service. It is this department’s job to condense events,
music, and other relevant topics into convenient mediums that reach the most people most
efficiently and prompts their curiosity to learn more upon its featured subjects of their own
volition.

Contact information for all members of the Writing Dept. can be found here:
Writing Directory

Office Hours / Weekly Meetings:

There are various required meetings throughout the month for the respective teams and
responsibilities. The writing team will meet weekly Tuesdays at 7:00PM at All Saints cafe
and Sundays at 6:30PM at the same location. Department Head, Emily Purvis, will be
available to meet for any scheduled office TR between 1:00-5:00PM.

WEEKLY MEETINGS TIME & PLACE​:

MANDATORY DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT MEETING: TUESDAY AT
7:00PM ALL SAINTS CAFE.

MANDATORY WRITING AND EDITING WORKSHOP: SUNDAY 6:30PM AT ALL

SAINTS CAFE.

All Saints Cafe address: ​903 Railroad Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32310.

The building is colorfully donned with murals on the outside. Parking is directly between
the building of the Cafe and Serenity Coffee and Kava Bar next door. Parking is limited;
carpooling or other transportation is suggested. Though, limited parking exists across and
along the streets surrounding All Saints Cafe.

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Caution: Please do not park under the apartments behind All Saints Cafe as these cars often
risk being blocked in. Additionally, do NOT park in the “Good Vibes Only” business’ parking
lot. You WILL be towed.

Emails:
EMAIL FOR OUTSIDE SUBMISSION OR GENERAL EMAIL:
writing.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com
Scott Bell (Cat Family President): ​catfamilyrecords@gmail.com
Emily Purvis (Department Head and General Meeting Leader): ​emp18e@my.fsu.edu
Alaina Manning (Lead Editor and Creative Workshop Leader): ​abm16c@my.fsu.edu

Description:
These meetings are designed to provide a space for members of the CFR Writing Team to
discuss, develop, and schedule Cat Family projects in a group-friendly environment.
Meetings will be scheduled around twice a week: one for General Discussion (to-do’s, event
planning, announcements, etc), and one for providing an office space for interns to
accomplish their goals for the week and attain help if needed.

General Meetings:
The Tuesday meetings are designed to tackle recent and upcoming events as well as touch
base with the Writing Team community. It is focused upon planning and connection with
the goal of creating universal and personal “to-do-lists” for interns and leaders. Every
Tuesday, the team meets for management items and to delegate tasks to reach upcoming
targets and goals. All writers and editors are expected to attend these meetings in addition
to the writing department head and the T.ART coordinator.

Creative Meetings:
The Sunday workshops are primarily dependent upon goals discussed in the prior Tuesday
meeting. It is a mandatory meeting used as “office space” for interns to finish up work “due”
by the following Tuesday, as a cumulative “touch base” with everyone concerning their
assignments, and as a collaboration with other departments additionally present during
meeting time. At this moment, both the Art and Writing departments are present during
our Tuesday meeting time of 7:00pm at All Saints Cafe. Each volunteer will have either one
“Assignment” or one “Blog” active at a time interchangeably. The Writing Team’s ultimate
goal is to allow every one of our members to not only acquire the titles and experience of
“published author, editor, or poet” in T.ART, but to help us all grow as writers through the
practice of daily writing.

- For Workshop Leader:

Template upon how to craft an agenda for the Workshop meetings:
Agenda Template.docx
Please place workshop agendas in the "Meetings" folder within the Writing
Department's portion of the Google Drive. ​MEETINGS

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Object Writings:
Occasionally, “Object Writings” will be small exercises within Creative Workshops designed
to generate content about an art piece, subject at hand, or topic of otherwise interest
through volunteers’ freewriting as well as teach volunteers how to correctly provide
feedback upon others’ work. It is up to the Meeting Leaders when or if to assign these
exercises. At the moment, it is designed similarly to a creative workshop class in the sense
of bulk review as well as anonymous authorial presence during critique. However, this
process is open to fluctuation and change depending on the need or desire of the Meeting
Leader. More upon Object Writings under “Procedures” section.

Attendance/For-Credit Objectives:
The weekly meetings are also meant to aid students undergoing the internship for course
credit. Attending both meetings will greatly help fulfill the minimum weekly requirement of
a single credit hour course (four hours of work per week), as well as provide material to
reach the mandatory word count of writing 2,000 words per credit hour ​or editing 3,000
per credit hour by the end of the semester.
- For questions about internship credit and proper paperwork, please contact Scott
Bell or a leader of your current Department through information provided in the
Writing Directory​.

“WRITING” Department Folder in Google Drive:

This folder is the online hub of the writing department. Meeting notes, agendas, contact
information (directory), things to edit, and just about everything else we need is found
here. All written works posts and the editing process will be completed in their designated
sections of the drive. The rest of the CFR drive can be a bit terrifying but worth
understanding. More information upon how to navigate the Drive and proper editing
processes are available in the Writing Department’s “Procedures” section.

​ ink to the folder’s “front page”:​ ​Writing Department Drive

-​ L

Job Descriptions
Writing Department Head
Responsibilities:​ Assists in intern management. Maintains intern contact
information, assignments, work counts, coverage, etc. in the drive. Attends weekly
department head meetings in addition to their designated department meetings.
Coordinates the written needs across departments. Director of T.ART and
collaborates with the Art for content and design. Contributes to the written portfolio
of the department and oversees all works published.
Requirements:​ Management experience, 3 years of writing experience. Genuine
enthusiasm about Cat Family’s mission and goals. Teaching, public speaking, or

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 strong networking skills recommended. Access to designated group chat service (at
the moment, Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

Chief Editor
Responsibilities:​ Leads weekly workshop meetings, designs object writing
assignments, aids in the coordination of written content, creates weekly meeting
agendas, scouts events and opportunities for coverage, edits all content to be
published. ​Agenda Template.docx
Requirements:​ Strong writing and editing portfolio, 3+ years of writing experience,
enthusiastic about the mission, easy to collaborate and coordinate with. Public
speaking or teaching experience strongly recommended. Access to designated group
chat service (at the moment, Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

T.ART Assistant Coordinator

Responsibilities:​ In addition to being a writer, the TART assistant coordinator will
assist in managing collaborations across writing, art, and marketing departments.
This individual will also assist in the layout and aesthetics of the publication.
Requirements:​ 3+ years editing experience, strong management skills, easy to
collaborate and communicative with, and has adobe access and ability. Access to
designated group chat service (at the moment, Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

Writer
Responsibilities:​ Writers are responsible for generating written content for T.ART.
Writers will be asked to write about content relevant to their desires, promoting
interesting works pertaining to their individuality. Additionally, writers will be
assigned to attend events to produce event recaps for the blog adding to event,
artist, and venue coverage. Typical assignments of writers include writing music or
visual artist biographies, event recaps of local shows, interviewing artists, album
reviews, insight upon local published authors, writing blogs, poetry, or other
creative content that furthers Cat Family’s mission of promoting local artists.
Requirements:​ Writing experience, organization, interest in the creative
communities, and passion for the mission. Familiarity with Google Docs
recommended. Microsoft Word experience mandatory. Access to designated group
chat service (at the moment, Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

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Editor
Responsibilities:​ Produce edits to written works in a timely fashion, aid in the
development and creative process, fact check all works and grant submissions.
Editors may also help with formulating social media posts in tandem with the
Marketing Department. Editors are asked to gather all graphics and complete the
layouts for the publication.
Requirements:​ Writing experience, grammar expertise, organization, interview
skills, and passion for the mission. 2+ years of editing experience and adobe access.
Familiarity with Google Docs and Microsoft Word strongly recommended. Access to
designated group chat service (at the moment, Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

Grant Writer
Responsibilities:​ Seeking grants that CFR is eligible for, creation of submission
calendar, compiling needed information, and writing grants.
Requirements:​ Data comprehension and compiling skills, strong research ability,
skill with rhetoric targeting specific grants, task-oriented, and organized. Familiarity
with grant writing. Access to designated group chat service (at the moment,
Facebook Messenger).
At present, this is a volunteer position. There is no financial compensation associated
with this position or those following it.

How the Writing Department Interacts with Other Departments:

A&R​: The Artists and Repertoire department provides the Writing Team with much of the
fuel it needs to function. Since Cat Family Records is a recording label first and foremost,
promotion of music artists through artist bios, EP and album reviews, and event coverage is
a great sum of the lifeblood of the company.

Art​: The Writing and Art depts are often looked upon as creative gurus, capable of
exercising their linguistic and visual expertise in a myriad of ways. Writers may often be
asked to aid with subjects such as designing spreads, InDesign, or general aid with assorted
creative work.

Events and Booking​: We can thank Events and Booking for organizing all those cool
events we are blessed to go to and write upon. Sometimes, the adventure of booking, itself,
can be quite interesting to delve into the behind-the scenes action of – and provide great
writing material.

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Marketing​: When it comes to promoting upcoming artists, one can never provide too much
attention. Social media can be a powerful tool that Marketing and Writing create together
in spreading the word of Cat Family and its artists.

Merchandising and Fundraising​: Ad space. Each volunteer is responsible for selling at

least one ad. Ad pricing varies, but the most common is $50 for half a page ad in T.ART. If
each writing intern (average of 14) sold one ad ($50.00), we would immediately raise $700,
without even including any other facet of Cat Family’s fundraising.

Production​: The Production team is to thank for creating the miracles through which our
artists’ music enters our ears. They record the artists, manage the essential sound
equipment, and mix tracks into professional-grade music. Without production, Cat Family
Records would merely be a family of dreaming kittens.

Assigned Tasks & Roles

Writing Director
1. Coordinate intern and volunteer assignments
2. Schedule and oversees content assignment
3. Discover new artists, organizations, etc. to cover
4. Attend all meetings
5. Design layout of the zine and TART
a. Cat Family is in the process of trying to build the ‘zine and finalize TART in an
attempt to further connect the creative communities
b. Lead Manager of ​TART operations
6. Manage TART socials and procedures
7. Attend weekly department head meetings
8. Schedule and managing grant submissions
9. Grants
10. Complete two​ ​street team​ activities a month

Chief Editor
1. Lead Editor for all written content
a. Blogs for final revision
b. Social Media (for grammar and simple error)
c. Grant (make file and put links for these)
2. Manage interns’ assignments and workloads
3. Lead weekly workshop:
a. Agenda Template.docx
b. Writing: Assignment and Blog Schedule
4. Strategize and coordinate shared tasks with other departments

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 5. Assistant Manager of ​TART operations
6. Aid writing director in developmental editing for blogs, features, and creative works
7. Assist in content management with assignment editing during weekly workshops
8. Design object writing for writing interns to promote creative and generate ideas
9. Google Drive organization of the Writing department’s division
a. Teach and confirm all interns know how to use the Drive in the proper way
10. Responsible for completing 2​ ​street team​ ​activities a month
11. (Optional) For the purpose of generating creative content for the zine, TART,
website, or other, there may occasionally be writing exercises similar to those found
in writing workshops. The default we have are Object Writings: three object
writings assigned on the Sunday before the upcoming week in a google forum. All
members of the writing department are required to complete these submissions
before the writing workshops next week.
a. Object writings ​are designed to create works and generate ideas for
potential blog ideas and titles, and are a suggested practice devoting 10
minutes of time throughout the week prior to the random topics. Can be
completed as a poem, short story, blog outline, etc.

Writer
1. Attend management and workshop meetings
2. Complete weekly object writings and form before workshop
3. Produce relevant blog, artist, art, or music-related content
a. Document all works in progress upon ​Writing: Assignment and Blog
Schedule
b. ALL WORKS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH TITLES.
4. Responsible for completing a minimum ​1000 words every two weeks. Can be done
in two ways:
a. 500 word in a week over 2 weeks
b. 1000 words over 2 weeks
5. Conduct interviews for coverage
6. Produce written event recaps of CFR events and others in the community within 24
hours of the event including quotes.
a. Works to Reference
7. Community outreach trying to to find new topics and individuals to cover
8. Each writer is responsible for securing one ad for TART
9. Complete two​ ​street team​ activities a month

Editor
1. Attend management and workshop meetings
2. Complete weekly object writings and form before workshop
3. Edit completed work in a timely fashion

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 a. All edits should be made on Google Drive in suggestion mode. This is to
ensure the writer is able to maintain a say in their work. No suggestions
should be removed by anyone aside from the department head or the chief
editor.
b. EDITING DEADLINES
- Event Recaps are due within 24 hours of original posting
- TART Features
1. First Edits within 48 hours of original posting
2. Second edits within 48 hours of original posting
- Grants are due within 72 hours of original posting
4. Contribute to the interview process for features
5. Sample Interview Questions:
a. Example Interview Questions
6. Crucial responsibility to fact check information in works
7. Reference Editing Works
8. Community outreach to find new topics and individuals to cover
9. Sell one ad for TART
10. Complete two​ ​street team​ tasks a month

Grant Writer
1. Attend management and grant writing meetings
2. organize submission calendar
3. compile needed information for submissions
4. Craft responses to grants
5. Complete 2​ ​street team​ activities a month

Meeting Procedures
Getting Started
1. First, familiarize yourself with the mission of T.ART and all relevant Cat Family
documents, templates, and guides. Here’s a list of helpful marketing links to get you
started:
a. Writing Directory
b. Writing Team Assignments
c. Previous T.ART(s)
d. Previous Blog Posts
e. Blog title brainstorm if no title present

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 f. Previous Event Recaps
2. We do all of our work inside of Cat Family’s Google Drive. The writing department
materials can all be found in the designated folder.
3. You will also find it important to understand how to navigate through varying
department folders for supplemental materials that you may need for artist bios,
reviews, social media, images and graphics from art.
4. A good frame of reference is the Sub Pop artist bios and blog surrounding music
news.

T.ART zine
1. T.ART is a quarterly publication that is released at the Pop-T.art event.
2. Zine spread dimensions are ​8’ x 10’​ (letter paper) folded in half.
3. Each zine runs roughly 22 pages (10 spreads and cover).
a. Final page number is lose
4. Zine spreads are centered around the Pop-T.art event.
a. Covering artists
b. Covering organizations
c. Covering local content
5. Each writer and editor are expected to sell one ad per issue.
a. AD Pricing
i. Quarter Page $75
ii. Half Page $100
iii. Whole Page $150
iv. Spread (2 Pages) $250
6. Spreads are assigned in batches as they occur and the deadlines are split up into
four week deadlines.
a. Writers are asked to upload their first drafts in the respected T.ART folder
within the google drive within 2 weeks of assignment.
b. During the next writing workshop the week following upload, editors will
make suggestions and revisions to the copy in suggestion mode on Google
Drive.
i. Suggestion mode allows editors to make their revisions/commentary
while allowing the writer to maintain their voice and creative idea.
Takes place after the Sunday workshop.

T.ART Blog
1. TART is a quarterly publication that is released at the Pop-Tart event.
2. Blogs are produced to provide relevant content for the website and the zine

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 3. Blogs provide a lot of creative freedom for the writer; though content in blogs must
follow these guidelines:
a. Feature local content
b. Time-relevant content
c. Take a non-controversial stance
d. Align with Cat Family’s morals, message, and target audience

Event Recaps
1. Event recaps are to be conducted at every Cat Family event in addition to other
events within the community.
a. There is to be a writer assigned to every Cat Family event to gather coverage
and promote their works digitally.
2. While at the events, writers are to question attendees on their experience in
addition to briefly interviewing the artists performing.
a. When conducting interviews for event recaps keep in mind these key points:
i. Ask questions in regard to the energy, venue, and opinion on how
their set went.
ii. Did the artist play a new or unreleased song?
1. If the song has yet to be released be sure to have approval from
the artist to write about it, and be sure to include a release date
if there is one so readers will know to keep an eye out for
what’s coming.
3. It is imperative to properly mention all performers (music or visual artists) in
addition to organizations or establishments that are hosting the event.
4. All recaps
5. Recaps finalized and uploaded within a relevant time frame from the event.
6. First drafts are to be uploaded to the “​Event Recap​” folder and then shared in the
facebook group for the team to review within 24 hours of the event.
a. All events should be titled
7. After comments and suggestions are made by editors and other writers the writer is
to revisit and make final revisions within 48 hours of the event.
8. Once revised by the writer, editors will go back in to make final revisions and
submit the piece to the Writing Department head to be uploaded onto the blog
within 72 hour time frame.
9. ALL WORKS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH TITLES AND SIGNED BY THEIR AUTHOR.

Artist Bios
1. When attempting to write an artist bio, the writer must first get a feel for the artist's
musicality and live performance to be able to capture them completely.

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2. Before drafting a new artist bio review some of the examples on Cat Family’s
website in addition to viewing a few from Sub Pop’s website.
3. Before contacting the artist for an interview, Writers are to immerse themselves in
their work and become comfortable with the assigned artist’s catalogue of the artist
up until that point.
4. After familiarizing themselves with their work, writers are to contact the artist
asking generic questions about the artist(s)’s background and more specific ones
that they have curated from listening to their works.
5. After conducting an interview, the writer is to draft up a 450-650 word artist bio
including references to their works and other crucial information in regards to the
artist that listeners may find interesting or will add to their experience.
a. Some items to include in an artist bio:
i. General bio information
ii. Musical influences
iii. Monumental career moments
iv. Quotes from the artist
v. Reference to their works
vi. Discography up to date
vii. Upcoming releases and notable happenings
6. Once the draft is complete, it is to be uploaded to the Artist Bio’s Google Drive to be
handed off to the assigned editors.
7. From here, editors are responsible for making revisions and comments on the
document in suggestion mode. Editors are also responsible for fact checking any
information that has been included in the bio (i.e. album/song titles, release dates,
social media, etc.).
8. Within the week, editors should have made all revisions and the writer will have an
opportunity to view the suggestions and make revisions as needed.
a. If there is a suggestion made by the editor that the writer does not agree with
they are to make a comment underneath the revision note.
b. NO ONE IS TO REMOVE A SUGGESTION aside from the Writing Department
head and their assistant.
9. After the writer has revisited the work, the Writing Department head is to look at
the final draft of the work and accept or decline any further suggestions from
editors.
10. Once all comments have been removed and the draft is deemed “finalized,” the
department head is to send the bio to the artist that it is for so that they can approve
or revise any final information.
11. After the artist has reviewed their bio, the writing department head is to move the
bio into the artist’s info folder and notify A&R that the bio has been completed.

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 12. Artist Bio’s seldom are final.
a. As new releases and events happen, writers are often asked to revisit and
add new information to existing bios.
b. When asked for updates, the writer is to go to the designated folder and
make those updates. After updates are made the writer is to reshare the bio
with the writing department head to make any further revisions.
c. After the writing department head has viewed the updated bio, they are to
reupload the bio and notify the website designer that changes have been
made for the new bio to be updated on the website.
13. ALL WORKS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH TITLES AND SIGNED BY THEIR AUTHOR.

Online Procedures
How to Navigate Google Drive:

Please provide us with a Gmail account under your real (or professionally preferred) name
so we can tell who you are. Google Drive sometimes labels people with “anonymous”
accounts without this, impeding our clarity upon Volunteers’ activity and their credit for
what they have worked on.
Final result if one cannot upload to or access a document in the Drive: email the
Microsoft Word file to writing.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com with a note that asks for it to
be where you need it to in the google doc. We will plop it in there for you.
Occasionally, not everyone will have access to every folder in Google Drive. Please
be mindful of what volunteers may or may not be able to access, and grant them requests if
necessary.

How to Grant Access Requests: “File” -> “Share” -> Enter email of those requesting.
OR follow the same pathway and change “Anyone with the link can view” to “Anyone
with the link can edit” and send the requestor(s) the link available in the small box.

How to Upload a Draft (Basic):

1. EITHER:
a. Drag and drop the file from your device into the respective folder within
Google Drive (when in doubt, put it in our department’s “front page”)
OR
b. From the drive, select “New” -> “Google Docs” -> “Blank Template” and begin
your draft.
OR

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 c. If all else fails, please email the document to
writing.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com requesting that it be placed in the
desired folder.
1. When sharing documents from your drive, after uploaded, please change the option
(Select “File” -> “Share”) from "everyone with this link can view" to “everyone with
this link can edit”, otherwise, others may not be able to access or edit your
document.
2. Volunteers: please do not delete or "resolve" others' comments. This option is for
department heads only unless given specific permission. Though, absolutely feel
free to comment on others' edits as much as you like to second, defend, answer, or
dispute the edit.

How to Edit a Draft (for Volunteers):

1. Set "Editing" mode to "Suggesting" Mode in the top right corner. Editing allows one
to change the core text of the document and should be used sparingly. Suggesting
mode allows one to “edit” the document without deleting the initial content.
2. Comments can be located when mousing over the right margin of the e-page and
selecting the speech bubble with a plus sign inside. Comments can be attached to a
highlighted letter, word, space, or entire paragraph. Drag your mouse over a section
(like usual selection in Microsoft Word) and click "comment" to type in a comment
attached to the highlighted section. If you feel intimidated with the “crossing out”
mechanism of the “Suggesting” method or Google Drive in general, comments are
the “safest” way to suggest edits.

How to Edit a Draft (for Dept. Head):

1. This section is atop of knowing (and often using) the Volunteers' editing methods.
2. Take sure you are signed into the Writing.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com admin gmail
account (Scott Bell has the access information if needed).
3. Make sure at least three volunteers have looked over the draft (not including the
author or yourself). If not enough volunteers have edited the piece, request the
necessary number of volunteers to do it at the start of the meeting and to inform
you when they have finished.
4. Implement most useful/correct edits prompted by the volunteers.
5. "Resolve" or "delete" all comments, even if you did not implement them.
A. "Resolve" implements the comment. "Delete" ignores the comment. ​Be sure
not to "Resolve" edits which you do not wish to appear in the document​.
6. Read through the draft twice; add your own edits.
7. Add your own comment to bottom of page stating that final edits have concluded.
8. Move the file into "Ready" (or otherwise designated) folder for finished pieces.
How to Move a Document: Click on the folder icon beside the name of the document
adjacent to the star icon. Click the arrows and folder titles until you reach the folder
you wish to move the document into. ​This will remove the document from its current

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 folder and place it into the selected location. This may affect who can access the
document.

Object Writings:
1. Feedback Instructions:
a. Writing: Spend 10 minutes upon each of three objects (in any order) writing
“about” it. (Poems, short stories, nonfiction, from the senses, streams of
consciousness, etc. Anything theoretically publishable on paper or in a
magazine medium.)
b. Editing Break: Spend 10 minutes editing the work afterwards before moving
onto a new object.
2. Do this for all three objects by the end of the week.
3. Email a document or legible picture(s) of your three works to
writing.catfamilyrecords@gmail.com​ with your name attached.
4. Hang tight, head home, and eat a cookie for your hard work.
5. You will receive an email containing one piece from each member in an email
with all author’s names removed​.
6. Read over everyone’s work and write up comments upon each before next week’s
meeting.
7. Bring either a hard or digital copy with your comments on it with you to the next
Object Writing meeting.
8. Discuss and repeat!

Other Procedures
Assignment Schedule:
This schedule is designed week by week to reflect interns’ current, past, and future
projects for Cat Family.

Writing: Assignment and Blog Schedule

Section Breakdown:
1. Independent Assignments: Interns’ overall “what we’re each doing” for
upcoming, past, and current weeks. BLOGS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH
TITLES.
2. Likes: Favored topics interns would like to focus on covering. Feel free to add
topics onto this section’s heading.

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 3. Social Media: Whether interns would like to help with editing social media
drafts posted by the Marketing department. Answer with a “Yes”, “No”, “Yes
but only…” or “Yes but not…”
4. T.ART-Exclusive assignments: Work completely dedicated to T.ART. May
include content shortening and reformatting from the website or other
mediums.

Fundraising:
The Writing Team is somewhat responsible for their own fundraising in addition to aiding
in the fundraising effort for the organization as a whole. We must get creative with this
process; this means selling ad space, hosting contests, raffles, selling merch, etc. These ads
can go to sponsoring local events like house shows, large, community events like Catfest,
and even T.ART, itself.

Ad sales:
Everyone is responsible for selling at least one ad to a local business. Ads will be priced
according to sales goals of Cat Family at the moment, often appearing in T.ART, CatFest,
and other events.

1. Introduce yourself and state that you are a writer for Cat Family’s publication and
you are seeking to sell ad space in our newest zine. State, “we are a 501C3
Nonprofit,” which, if they are a business owner, they know what a 501C3 is. It’s a
classification or synonym of “nonprofit organization.”
2. If they are not familiar with us, be excited in your introduction upon our nonprofit
record label’s mission in supporting local artists. Sometimes businesses will seem
interested and sometimes not. It is ok if a business seems uninterested; it means you
have time to focus on the businesses that are.
3. It is most beneficial to discuss with the business owner or manager, but if they are
not available at the time of your visit, ask the staff politely for their contact info after
explaining your initial goal.
4. Show them a copy of the last T.ART or notable posts and already present ads upon
the website, social media, streaming services, events, shows, etc.
5. Explain the audience T.ART typically reaches and where the zine is currently sold.
Perhaps the business you’re pitching to is interested in selling the zine as well so
their audience can outwardly expand even more.
6. Discuss pricing, location of ads, and bringing in a member of the fundraising team to
finalize the debut of their new support!
7. You have now attained bragging rights for that awesome business you got to
support Cat Family in upcoming writing meetings!
8. Follow up with them after the ad has aired. See how satisfied they are. What did
they like about the space? Is there anything we can improve on or change upon ads
for future sales? (In other words, find out if they would like to sponsor again in the
future and if so, would they want their ad to be handled differently.)

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Note: Please try to stick to local businesses, as selling ad space to chains can sometimes be
convoluted and sponsoring local businesses align with our initial mission is to support ​local
artists.

General Pricing Document:

[Link to ad rubric/sales formula that doesn't exist yet. At the moment, $50 dollars for half a
page ad in T.ART, $100 for a full page].

[Ads and graphic design: Are local businesses to provide their own ads (their own design
we simply copy & paste) or are we to create the ads for the business to fit in with the
aesthetic of T.ART?]

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MERCHANDISING
1st Edition by Scott Bell, January 2020

THIS SECTION IS UNFINISHED / WILL BE AVAILABLE IN V2.1

Cat Family Records seeks interns interested in working with our newly formed
Merchandising Department. The department’s tasks are three-fold. First, we manufacture
merchandise for local distribution for Cat Family Records and Cat Family artists. Second,
we sell that merchandise in several local establishments and during Cat Family and other
events. Third, we sell those designs online. In the coming months, we hope to expand our
local reach with even more in-house merchandise. Our current inventory includes shirts,
stickers, posters, and buttons. During the spring, we are also starting a more expansive,
online sales campaign. Using Printify for drop shipping, we are launching a new website in
March. In April, we plan to test up to five different ads and shirt designs across several
target audiences to collect quality data and grow our online sales and label presence.
Interns will assist with each of the above initiatives.

Job Descriptions
Merchandise Assistant

Responsibilities:​ ​Weekly​: Attend team meetings to discuss current & upcoming

projects. Track inventory. ​Monthly​: Volunteer for at least two events. Track
consignment sales (list by location). Attend printing workshops. Create a report that
summarizes all sales. ​Annually​: Volunteer at Cat Fest. Prepare a year-end summary
report of all sales.

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 Requirements:​ Prior work experience in customer service and/or sales. Strong
verbal communication skills. Basic skills with Microsoft Excel. Ability to interact
professionally with local business owners.

PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1st Edition by Scott Bell, January 2020

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140
APPENDIX A: Department Workflow Charts by
Program Service

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142
APPENDIX B: Cat Family Process Template

[INSERT DEPARTMENT]

1) OVERALL SUMMARY & STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

a) What is your central mission? How are you facilitating one or more of Cat
Family’s mission statements and/or program services mentioned above?
What is your department’s overall mission and purpose? How does your
department fit in and work with the other eight departments? What are your
short-term and long-term goals? Use conviction. This is an opportunity for
you to establish the initial, ideological tone and direction of your department.
They also can be used for future grant applications and press.

2) JOB DESCRIPTIONS
a) These should be short, sweet, and include compensation information. They
also need to be up-to-date and ready to copy over into classifieds, handshake,
and other recruitment documents.

3) PROCEDURES & DIRECTIONS

a) Write out each of your meta purposes and procedures. See Events for an
example. For each meta procedure, write out step by step instructors,
starting from absolute scratch. Include how other departments are
incorporated and how you are linked. Include supporting documents, forms,
style guides, timelines, plans, etc., where they are relevant (and make sure to
note them as a subheading 2 or 3 in the Table of Contents). Be as concise,
efficient, but detailed as possible. As we intake volunteers, they will be
assigned the first section of the handbook for general knowledge about the
label as well as your department section. Someone with no prior knowledge
or experience should be able to carry out the procedures written within.

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4) ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
a) Structurally, how are you going to accomplish the procedures written above?
Write out your ideal structure, signal and workflow first. How could you
construct the most efficient social machine to accomplish current and future
procedures? Think forward. Next, write out how you will accomplish the
present procedures with the department staff currently engaged. Note any
gaps between the two and create a plan for filling those gaps. Shared
department responsibilities, volunteers, and procedures are encouraged, but
overall procedural responsibilities outlined in your respective sections fall to
you.

5) FUTURE PLANS
a) Here, write a paragraph or two about future goals. You can be more explicit,
but use this as a public announcement for whatever is on your scratch pad,
departmentally speaking, for the next one to five years.

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APPENDIX C: ISO-9001 Process Template

Introduction:
[Quality Manual Document Title]

Revision:

Date:

Doc Number:

Conforms to ISO-9001:2015

Amendments:
Revision and Approval

● [revision number] - [date] - [nature of changes] - [approved by]

● [revision number] - [date] - [nature of changes] - [approved by]
● [revision number] - [date] - [nature of changes] - [approved by]
● [revision number] - [date] - [nature of changes] - [approved by]

Purpose:
Welcome

[Include welcome text about the company here]

Quality Policy

[Include your quality policy here]

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Responsibilities:
Context of the Organization

[Include your context of the organization text. This should cover internal and external issues which
could impact strategic direction]

Interested Parties

[List your interested parties here. This requires stakeholders who receive products/services, are
impacted by products/services, or may otherwise have a significant interest in the company]

Scope:
Scope of the Quality Management System

[Include your scope statement here. This must include a description of products/services. This will
appear on any resulting ISO-9001 certificate. Consult with your certification body]

Locations

[List all physical locations with their full address where the business operates]

Exclusions

[List any locations which have exclusions from the QMS and identify which specific procedures are
excluded]

Procedures:
Process Management Methodology

[Explain your process methodology]

Top Level Processes

1. Process 1
2. Process 2
3. Process 3

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Complete Company Procedures

Procedure 1:
Summary

● This procedure defines the requirements for...

● The ____ is responsible for the implementation and management of this procedure

Revision and Approval

● [revision number] - [date] - [nature of changes] - [approved by]

Procedure

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3
1. Subtask 1
2. Subtask 2
3. Subtask 3
4. Step 4

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