Rising Stars: Meet Cidney Grady

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cidney Grady.

Hi Cidney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.

Well! My name is Cidney Grady. I am 24 years old, I’m a Nashville Native. I graduated from East Nashville Magnet High School in 2016 and went on to attend and graduate from Belmont University in 2020. I love all things dealing with Creativity, Entertainment, and Music!

My love for music has always been present in my life. From singing Alicia Keys’ “Fallin” word for word at 5 years old to singing in musicals, and talent shows in High School and some of college. However, my love for the business side of music came later. When it was time for me to pick a college to attend, I remember being nervous that I would have to leave Nashville to go after the music I was interested in creating because, on the outside looking in, Nashville is “Country Music City.” However, being from Nashville, you know the city holds much more. I knew the artists. I wrote the music, was friends with the DJs and attended the events. I didn’t know how hard breaking that stigma would be, which made me nervous.

I’m glad I stuck around to find out, though! As the city continued to grow and expand during my Junior & Senior year of High School, I knew that more people would come and see the city for what “Music City” actually meant and that the Hip-Hop & R&B sector of music would continue to flourish along with it. I ended up studying Music Business at Belmont University after an important conversation with my Mother. She wanted to make sure I had a plan and that I didn’t just think I could graduate from college and “Be Beyonce.” Of course, I immediately went into my rebuttals about how “Belmont was that kind of school” and “Actually, I can do that,” but then I took it upon myself to do a little more research on the school. I was pleasantly surprised to find The Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, and when I saw the Music Business Major, a lightbulb went off in my head. I said to myself, “My musical talents aren’t going anywhere. They are a part of me. I can always sing. I can always write, but this business side is what I don’t know therefore THAT is what I need to study.”

That was probably one of the most important conversations I have had so far because it put me where I am now. It changed everything for me, and it all made sense. I could grow and learn what I didn’t know while making the connections and continuing to nurture my musical gifts on my own. Since my first class in 2016, I have never looked back. I didn’t question my major not once over my four years, and I fell in love with the business of the thing I was passionate about most music. I didn’t think it was possible to love and appreciate the art of music more than I already did, yet I continued to fall more and more deeply in love with the craft with every class I took. I went from only wanting to “Be Beyonce” to being Beyonce, Diddy, Clive Davis, NeYo, Berry Gordy, and so many more moguls in the industry.

In the second semester of my Senior Year at Belmont, a dear friend of mine, Sydney Evans, asked me to consider being her manager. She and I had been close since Freshman Year. The earliest interaction of ours I can remember is this open mic where she performed a poem/spoken word piece she had written. At the end of her piece, I said to myself, “She’s got it.” In college, the two of us spent a lot of time in the lobby of our dorm hall (cause Potter is Hotter *winks in Belmont lingo). We both helped with Belmont’s Showcase series and were involved in the Service Corps and Belmont’s Black Student Association. We went on Belmont’s Civil Rights Trail Trip one year, and the two of us even spent time at the same internships with Washington Street Publishing and Creative Minds Management. During our conversation, Sydney told me that she admired my work ethic and the type of person that I am. She knew management was something I wanted to do by the time I graduated and that she wanted to really “do this music thing.” I didn’t hesitate in my answer at all. I knew this was an opportunity specifically lined up for me. I think we agreed to work up an agreement by the time we drove back to campus. Looking back on how our lives have played out since that conversation always reminds us that it was divine timing for both of us.

If you know anything about new Independent Artist careers, you know that the money doesn’t just flow with ease. You put in more work than the profit. You fund everything with your own money (so you have to get another job that makes music your second job). We were both prepared for it all, but upon graduating from Belmont in 2020, we set out on a more atypical after-college journey into the real world (Thanks to what I call “The Pandemic Year”). Although I didn’t like it. I had to lean on the Business side of my degree for most of 2020 & 2021. In 2020 I worked in social media marketing for a developing app in the Beauty & Tech space called ShearShare. In 2021 I started working for a Wedding Coordinator Patrice Armstrong of PLS Coordinate. Balancing Management and the jobs that provided income was tough. It wasn’t the same as balancing classes at all. We had to finish editing SymbaSyd’s Album “Another Life Situation” on Zoom. Her engineer Ian Gaines was in Chattanooga, SymbaSyd was in Chicago, her producer, Kelly2Face was in South Carolina, and I was in Nashville. Some nights we were up until 9 PM; others were Midnight or later. Going through the Pandemic Year as a new Artist & Manager duo strengthened our bond. We could focus on many smaller things like how we want to move as one, making connections, and ultimately really seeing what our degrees were made of.

Fast Forward to August of 2021, my Uncle Eric passed away, and my life fell apart for a little bit. My Uncle lived his life to the fullest and brought joy and happiness to those around him. He never wanted us to be hurt and loved us more than anything. After he passed, it was a really hard time for me mentally. I couldn’t focus at work and didn’t want it to affect someone else’s business. I was already occupying temporary spaces far from where I yearned to be, and I kept hearing my Uncle’s last words, “Is someone giving you a hard time?” The truth is that it wasn’t someone. It was something. Not being able to focus on music fully and creativity was giving me the hardest time of my life, even before his passing. I thought there was a reason that was the last thing he said to me, and I couldn’t let him down. I’ve got to go for what I want as fearlessly as he did no matter what. I can truthfully say that my Uncle’s last words to me were words confirming something I felt like God had been trying to get me to do for a very long time. I was terrified to do it, but I needed to stop looking elsewhere for money and focus on making my dreams my reality. I was getting No after No on job applications, and that balancing act between the job that makes money to fund the job you want to do is very unhealthy for me mentally, it was, indeed, giving me a hard time. I couldn’t do both, so I stopped doing both and dove into my Management responsibilities. I knew God would correct me quickly had I misread the instructions. Still, I instantly knew I had made the right decision because it was as if opportunity after opportunity began to pour in for myself & my Artist when I decided to go for it. I was able to focus again. My head was clear. My artist secured her first performance, and people started asking about my management services & if I was expanding my roster. We connected with another Belmont Grad, Alex Evelyn, who works at YoCo 96.7FM, a genre-less radio station based in Nashville. She also co-hosts the radio show, CountrySliq, on the station with KO McCoy, and manages Khrys Hatch and Ysa. We got SymbaSyd’s first radio interview on their show! We got SymbaSyd’s first radio interview on their show! I continued to nurture a connection with a Freelance Event Manager that gives me income opportunities throughout the year.

I’ve been able to work at The ACM Awards, CMA Awards, Conferences in Nashville, and most recently The Music City Grand Prix. I had everything I needed already. The people that supported me most, the connections and the means to make more connections and keep learning. I just needed to keep going and putting in the work. I’m truly at a loss for words when I try to explain how grateful I am to be able to focus on building my Management career. I don’t have the most money yet, but I have what I need to survive, nurture my goals, and be happy. Those things matter to me most.

My ultimate goal career-wise is to be a successful Entertainment Industry Entrepreneur. I’m currently working on building my Artist Management company. I plan to open my first office in Nashville and branch out to other cities. Our main goals will be to educate artists on the industry and teach them as much as they want to know about the business side of music and how to make their music work for them. Making sure the artist is fully heard and putting family & mental health first is a major goal. Creating a work environment where everyone genuinely feels cared for is a big to-do for me. In our industry, it’s easy to forget we’re just human. It’s okay to need a break. None of us are perfect, but striving for that excellence first in ourselves will set us apart from the rest. Other plans of mine include writing, starring in & directing films, making music of my own, and performing in musicals. The list goes on, but it’s because I don’t believe in limiting myself. Any and everything I want to do in this life, I have the power to get it done, and I plan on doing just that.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When it comes to being a successful Artist manager, I think there are a few different struggles. Some come from others, and some just come from the job. You first have to deal with people that don’t value the skill of Artist Management. It has become so easy to record & release music that there’s this notion that managers aren’t needed anymore. However, to push for results and maximum growth & development, I believe (other people believe this as well) that you need some guidance or management to keep growing and developing. There are way too many moving pieces to the puzzle, and coasting too long without management runs the risk of missing major opportunities, ultimately stalling or ruining, your chances at a music career.

Now by no means does this mean an Artist should jump into management with the first manager they see. However, having one shouldn’t be completely off the table. You can take the time to do some good work on your own! You’ll learn what kind of person you need as your manager, at what career level you’ll need one, and areas you struggle with in trying to balance both Artist and Manager roles. Although reading my story of how I came to manage SymbaSyd may seem like we jumped into management very quickly, that decision wasn’t made off of one interaction in one day. We already knew each other’s work style, had been there for each other, looked out for each other, and had similar values. The two of us had been friends for almost four years before discussing our working together in a business capacity. We knew we could trust each other with a venture such as this one. Taking time to find the right manager is very important. You’ve got to make sure the two of you fit and work well together because the title of manager is more than just managing. It’s Manager, Friend, Creative, Confidant, Peace, Organizer, Motivator, and much more. You don’t need someone that isn’t supposed to be that person for you in that spot.

Another thing I have noticed is that the reputation of being an Artist Manager has been tarnished by the “manager” who took advantage of their Artist and the “manager” who acts like they know what they’re doing, and they don’t. Someone pretending to have it under control does not have your best interest at heart. I stand strongly on the fact that I do not know everything and make it clear. Our industry is constantly evolving; therefore, knowing everything all at once is impossible. What matters is that you can find the answers and anticipate when you’ll need them. You’ve got to keep relationships with people that know more than you and have other areas of expertise in the industry. You’ve got to be able to find the answers, make the connections, and execute efficiently & effectively. Most importantly, you have got to keep learning and perfecting your craft. A good Manager is interested in protecting their Artist’s assets and helping them make more for themselves. They believe in their artists as much as they believe in themself. They lead selflessly, vulnerably, and with the idea of constantly evolving in mind.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m most proud of my first time planning and executing a Trip for SymbaSyd this past July. It was technically my first time planning and executing a trip in general, but for it to be a business trip?! I deserve a few pats on the back. We went to Chicago, where she was born and raised, and recorded with some of her friends at the well-known Enviyon Studios. I had to do all the planning, booking, collecting money, issuing refunds, finding the most cost-efficient options, making the itinerary, and confirming attendees. I think I still can’t believe we did it!

I’m currently working on offering my Management services to developing artists who may not be able to afford a full-time manager fully. Still, they need that manager figure to talk things out with. Whether it’s just brainstorming on promotion ideas or ways to engage fans, maybe they don’t know the first thing about how to brand themselves as an Artist. I just think it’s important that Artists at whatever level they’re on aren’t just out there on their own needing help. I know newer artists can be nervous or unsure about how to reach out and find the right kind of help. I want to be that help. I want to be that help. If it turns into a full Artist Manager relationship, great, but even if it doesn’t, I’ll be satisfied knowing I was able to help them keep going. It may look like everyone has it together, but the industry gets hard. Being vulnerable enough to put your voice out there gets hard. An Artist needs that support sometimes.

Something I plan to pick back up on is an interview series I started in May 2020 on my Instagram Live called “Music Is.” I tested it out for a bit during the early months of the Pandemic Year and gave it a rest due to my camera quality not being up to my standards. It’s a platform where I just let artists come on, and we talk music. It’s very informal and relaxed. I want to expand it to include other industry figures like my Manager friends, Publishing professionals, and more. It’ll be fun to plan, and I’m super excited to get these ideas out! (The hashtag on Instagram where you can find the old episodes is #MusicIsCidNache)

I feel like Industry people are never complete without something philanthropic they do, and although I’ve had this in development since my high school years, I think it’s sweet that it fits the pattern. I have always had a place in my heart to help people experiencing homelessness. I don’t like how people treat them as if they’re not human and act as if they couldn’t be in their situation next week! In 2015 I started working on a group for women to serve those less fortunate communities of people while pouring into each other. One main goal is to solve the problem of homelessness because I don’t think enough time has been spent trying to figure it out. Instead, it has been ignored, homeless encampments have been removed, and people are misjudged for their situation. I just don’t think it’s right and that more should be done to find a solution. I have plans to fund this venture fully through my companies in the Music & Entertainment Industry, and I look forward to figuring out how to do it!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Keep up with me! I do a lot of different things and love them all. I’m focused on doing whatever makes me happy and advocate for others to do the same. I’m a Creative at heart. My advice for everyone is this: Learn Yourself, Love Yourself, and Be Yourself in every way possible. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and leave the world better than it was when you found it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cidnache/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SYMBASYD
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CidNache
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/cidneygrady
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/symsyd
• Other: https://www.symbasyd.com/