Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Stalnaker.
Hi Jill, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up playing piano but after marrying young and having five children, I went for years without playing. At age 30, I was given a guitar and because I didn’t have a piano at the time, I was forced to do what I could with an instrument I didn’t know how to play. I learned a few chords and quickly got bored. But, necessity is the mother of invention and as such, I began writing lyrics. They poured out of me! Something unlocked in my brain I guess, and I couldn’t stop writing. I consulted with my ONE connection in the music industry and asked her if my songs were any good. She mentored me for about 2 years and eventually invited me to play a set at the Bluebird Cafe. It was so much fun and I began performing my music more and more but could never get over the stage fright. I decided performing wasn’t for me. During this time, I discovered ered a little marina about 45 minutes away that claimed to have a songwriter’s night with hit songwriters. I almost didn’t believe it because it was in the middle of nowhere. So I checked it out and sure enough, hit songwriters were playing there for a summer songwriter’s series. These guys wrote for people like Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Rascall Flatts, Reba, etc. I couldn’t believe it. I met the owners of the resort and I guess my excitement and recommendations for marketing their event to the nearest “large” town (my hometown of Cookeville) inspired them to ask me if I would book music for them on a weekly basis. So I nodded my head yes even though I had never done anything like that.
I figured it out and started finding talent. Then, not long after that, my one connection in the industry asked if I wanted to book a show at the Bluebird because she would be out of town for one. I did and it was at that stage that I knew the music business was the business for me. I curated a fantastic show and I basically got addicted to finding the best talent and giving that undiscovered talent opportunity. I eventually started my business, Leaning Tree Agency. My focus is to present a premium roster of artists to venues and to be a part of the growth of and sustaining of a thriving music industry, particularly for undiscovered artists. I love giving undiscovered artists the best live performance opportunities possible and I love finding the talent a venue is seeking. I feel confident now that I can find whatever a venue is looking for at the price they want. So Leaning Tree is an intermediary for venues and artists. I also have an artist support group, “The Collective”. I began that a year ago. I bring big names from the industry to Cookeville to do an introduction and Q&A with the artists for one hour. We then host an in-the-round for the artists to play for each other and for our featured guests. This has been a very fulfilling endeavor.
I also just recently had the honor of being named the Nashville Director of Chick Singers Night. Chick Singers Night is a non-profit organization that is the longest-running showcase for female artists in the nation. The Bluebird Cafe has hosted our show for the last 18 years. This is the show I originally played at and filled in for my friend from the industry. Curating and hosting shows maybe my favorite part of this industry. I love interviewing the artists for the audience and then letting them all lean in to listen.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes and no. I went through a very rough divorce during all of this and became a single mom. I was lucky enough to get to move onto a second home on the farm I grew up on, leaving me rent-free so I could build my business. So that part was and is smooth you could say. I owe my parents a great deal for this.
It’s been rough too though. Burnout is a real thing. They say your business doesn’t run if you don’t run it and that is so true. I feel it more and more as I grow my roster. I feel a deep sense of honor and responsibility to my artists to fight for them. I respect what they do SO much and truly want to give them as much opportunity as I can so they can have a career doing what they love. They put themselves out there and essentially wear their heart on their sleeve for the rest of us. This inspires me to also be vulnerable enough to try things and to be uncomfortable in order to grow. I am an artist-first agency – the artist in front of my mind when it comes to every decision I make.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Leaning Tree makes entertainment easy for the buyer and makes the artists on its roster feel valued and celebrated. We only work with the best of the best both in talent and professionalism. The buyer can know that the process of obtaining talent for their venue or event will be smooth and easy. We are very selective when it comes to what artists we work with.
Leaning Tree is an artist-first agency with the goal of protecting, supporting, and growing the industry around its core product – the artist. Every decision we make is with the artist first in mind.
We specialize in offering premium talent from our roster to buyers (events, festivals, venues, etc.). We have a carefully curated roster of artists with a broad range in genre. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, we’ll find it!
What sets us apart from others is mainly the artist. We do sell the “entertainment made easy” to the venue and truly work hard to make it easy for the buyer to obtain talent for their event and to leave their guests feeling great after a great show. What really sets us apart though is our relationships with the artists themselves. We do our best to make sure they know that we couldn’t do this without them. That they are the value in this exchange of value between the two parties in booking negotiations. We believe in providing ACTUAL value to the artist and therefore work only on commission-based deals. No upfront investment is asked for. We only make money if the artist makes money.
Our logo has a leaning “T” in it. This leaning T (Leaning TREE Agency) symbolizes our motto, “just lean into it”. “Just lean into it” means when we have that little nudge that keeps bugging us, just lean into it. The “just” is important. It’s not a demanding LEAN into it. It’s JUST lean into it – a little. Be curious. Try it out. Artists are some of the most courageous people I know. It’s not easy to be as vulnerable as they are with their music. They embody what it means to “just lean into it”.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
YES! My first friend in the industry, Jaclyn Brown, is the one who invited me to the Bluebird and who trusted me enough to curate a couple of shows before passing on the role of Director to the whole thing to me! She believed in me and taught me so much. Also, I’m a people person and literally took every single opportunity to take someone from the industry to coffee or lunch to learn.
I’ve met major managers, songwriters, top-label executives, licensing and branding experts, people in radio, and so many more this way. They all taught me more than anyone. I also learned a lot about business in general with friends that have been very successful in their own companies. I’ve surrounded myself with people much smarter than me and much more successful than me. People are truly eager to share what they are passionate about if you just ask. I also have learned so much from Google and YouTube.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leaningtreeagency.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaningtreeagency/
