Passion Series: Marthe Vaangman, Artist Director

I have the great honor of knowing Marthe through our mutual friend and Passion Series Alumn, Mike Williams, through his company Studiotime. Since meeting Marthe, I couldn’t help but notice her drive and passion in an industry where there are no real defined roles. The music industry is probably one of the most unregulated industries around and yet so many make their claim to fame in the industry.

The music industry is far greater than what we, the public see on the surface. Beneath it all is a myriad of people all working for one artist in order to ensure the artist’s success. So when I would see Marthe at Studiotime events, I had a deep urge to find out more, and below is her story.

Images By Mark Mendoza - Marthe, Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Would you mind telling everyone who Marthe Vaangman is?

Marty -So we can go with “Marty” to make it easy since that’s what most people call me and it’s much easier to pronounce (unless you’re Norweigan). With that said, I grew up in Scandinavia, which is the music capital of Europe. From an early age, I was very passionate about music, which I’ve pursued over the years and now turned into a career. I think this has really helped shape who I am today since music is such a big part of my life.  If I were to describe myself though, I think I would say that I’m someone who is very creative, driven, motivated and a “go-getter” type of person in everything that I do.

IBMM - What brought you to LA?

 Mary - In 2016 I moved to Los Angeles for school and to further my career in music. I chose Los Angeles not just for the beaches (ok, maybe!), but to also be in the music capital of the world. I knew that I needed to be in the right place, with the best career opportunities, and have access to the most experienced and accomplished mentors in the industry. It was a big life decision for me at the time, but looking back at things now, I think this has been the biggest factor in me being able to fast-track my career in music. 

IBMM - What does music do for you?

 Marty - Simply put, music makes me happy. By happy, I mean that it makes me realize a state of being joyous, thankful, and in good spirits. I think this happiness is the best way to look at life and music is the way that I’ve realized and am reminded of it. Aside from happiness, music also motivates and inspires me. Knowing how significant music is to me, my well-being, and also others I think really gives me the passion to pursue music as a career and being the best that I can for both myself and the artists that I work with. 

IBMM - What do you think music does for others?

 Marty - While music allows me to experience a state of happiness, I think it also allows others to do this and evokes various kinds of other emotions for people individually. These are usually associated with specific memories from past points of life, both good and bad. In a way, music is the means that allows people to tap back into past experiences, nostalgia, and relive emotions. Music also helps people stay motivated, inspired, and dreaming. I think dreaming is highly important and something that music sparks.

IBMM - How did you link up with Studiotime?

 Marty - I actually got involved with Studiotime when they were partnering with Airbnb to bring Experiences to some of their studios. This was by first hosting intimate performances by artists at some of their unique studios, like Voltiv Studios in Downtown Los Angeles. Since then, it has evolved from an initial partnership to being it’s own high priority initiative for Studiotime. With this, I’ve built out a team, focused on artist relations (myself personally), and also relaunched it as "Studiotime Sessions" on January 1st 2020, which you might have seen on our social. 

We had big plans for 2020 and I was looking forward to leading an international launch of Studiotime Sessions in Stockholm. We were scheduled to launch therein early May, but as we all know, the current events have sort of put things on hold. We’re still planning to launch there at some point in the future and as you can imagine I’m incredibly excited to bring the Sessions back to Norway and Sweden! 

 IBMM - What drives you to succeed?

Marty - I think that I’m primarily motivated and driven by the people that I’m surrounded by. I’m usually around such an inspiring group, who are always pushing and encouraging me both personally and professionally. I think this environment and others really gives me an outside motivation and drive to succeed. I’ve also realized that it’s even more meaningful to succeed when encouraged by others, since it’s an accomplishment for everyone and a shared feeling of success.

IBMM - Do you have any inspirations?

 Marty - Yes, I have quite a few inspirations! As mentioned before though, I really feel the sense of inspiration from music. I also get this sense from being around people that are the go getters/doers in life and that have the mentality that anything is possible. 

 My absolute biggest source of inspiration from a person or people is from my close group of friends. When I’m around them I see how humble and authentic they are as people, yet also very happy, enthusiastic, and successful. To me they embody what it is to be successful, since it’s a well-rounded sense of being a good person, successful in their careers, and also inspiring others to be the best version of themselves also. 

 Professionally, I’ve also been lucky to have mentors who have believed in me, given me the opportunities to push myself, and helped me understand the directions and avenues that would allow me the most personal and professional growth possible. 

IBMM - Do you have any favorite quotes that you live by?

 Marty - As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

I think this quote really resonates with me since I  live by the law of attraction, meaning that we can attract anything into our lives when we focus on it enough.

IBMM - What is your title?

 Marty - Artist Manager 

Thank you for your time Marty, and for your enthusiasm and willingness to do this interview with me.  I can't wait to see all your success!

Follow her journey:

Instagram: @marthevangman