Charles Career Capsule
My career started when I began interning at Curb Records in January of 2005. I was still a freshman at Belmont University and had the blessing to start learning the industry at a young age. Upon graduating in May of 2008, I was hired full time at Curb. After a year and a half, I moved over to Provident Label Group. As a year and a few months with PLG flew by where I began to understand the ins & outs of radio promotion, an opportunity to lead the radio team opened at Tooth & Nail Records. That was a dream come true and I grew up on listening to a ton of Tooth & Nail music. I started there in February of 2011. For two and a half years, I had a blast working with some great artists and people. An opportunity presented itself to head back to Provident in August of 2013 and I have been back at Provident since.

1. Tell us about your role at PLG.... (a little history, etc)?

My current role at Provident allows me to share lead on strategy for our artists at radio as well as shape how radio interacts with larger marketing initiatives at the label.

2. Since you have a such a busy schedule, how do you best manage your responsibilities and priorities?

An AMAZING radio team at Provident and Evernote. I get to work with some pretty smart people that are gifted in areas that I’m not, so they challenge and help me in some pretty amazing ways. Evernote is my #1 go-to to help keep me in check. It’s a great place where I can keep track of my “To Do” list every day no matter if I’m in front of my computer, on my iPad, or on the road using my phone.

3. Complete this sentence: The best way to get a new artist recognized is to____________?

Have a great song and a great attitude. For the song, people won’t care what you have to say unless you can make them feel something through your music. Once you earn the right through your music, then how you conduct yourself in front of others can get you through the next set of doors in this industry.

4. Generally speaking how do you see the state of Christian radio?

It’s an exciting time! We have some great things happening at stations that are causing others to take notice. From the digital space to the live event space, Christian radio isn’t backing down from the challenge of getting in front of listeners and providing them what they want to hear, see, and experience.

From an artist perspective, there are tons of great songs from the regular set of artists, but also a new crop of artists that are making a lot of headway from not only the radio side, but also from a streaming and digital downloads viewpoint. As radio, and the industry as a whole, support those up & coming artists, we will see the next round of B and C level artists moving into the A level slots. There must be support from all sides to make sure our industry continues to help itself.

5. Regarding record sales how has it changed ....please explain?

As physical CD sales have declined, we have been challenged to find new ways of exploiting our music to the consumer. There are so many avenues to getting music for free (YouTube, Spotify, etc.), we are constantly challenging ourselves to figure out the revenue portion of that equation. Since the digital space has provided more questions than answers, we will continue to trial and error as technology advances.

6. What promotions with radio have you been involved with personally that are most memorable?

We recently ran a campaign in August with Casting Crowns called, “31 Days to Thrive”. It was daily, fresh content from the band about how to thrive in your life. The reaction on the band’s Facebook page and email list alone was incredible! As I heard from radio guys that ran it, it became clear of how much of that was not just a ministry to listeners, but also to the programmers and staff at the station. I love hearing that!

7. Do you feel the record/radio relationship is still as important as it has been in the past...........explain how its same/different?

The relationship between radio and records is more important! As I mentioned earlier, we have some amazing stations that are leading the field in the way they handle not only their on air component, but also in managing their presence in the digital space and live events. I love getting our artists the opportunity to partner with radio to make a win-win for everyone involved!

8. There are still some big markets without a CCM station, why do you think that is?

I can’t speak too much into the whys, the hows, the key players involved, the engineering aspects, etc., but what I do know is that if there is a way for a talented group of people to minister to a city, God can and will provide the right opportunity.