Weekly Women Wednesday Vol. LXX - Noamme Elisha
There are certain forces in the music industry that have always driven me further, those I can look to when I’m at my most discouraged and feel that fervor again, tour and production manager Noamme Elisha is one of those people. A few months ago we were able to have a chat with Noamme in the midst of her absolutely insane touring schedule to talk about the chaos of life on the road, and how to care for yourself when you're so busy taking care of others. Have a read, and reminisce on times where concerts didn't feel like a fleeting memory.
Tuesday: First we want to thank you for taking the time to chat with us, you seriously have inspired us and our craft so much! So right after finishing college you hit the ground running, hopping on tour with The Flaming Lips as an assistant tour manager. Since then, you’ve been on the road pretty nonstop. What have these last few months looked like for you?
- Noamme: This year I’ve had the pleasure of working with four very diverse bands: Broken Social Scene, COIN, Jake Shears, and Sylvan Esso. It’s been a non-stop juggling act managing four tours simultaneously but I’m very proud of the way the productions panned out and feel very accomplished. It has been my busiest year so far!
How did you first find interest in the music industry? Was it always something you wanted to make a career out of?
- I’ve always been interested in live music but despite going to music school, I never really had a drive to become a performer. My parents were very supportive growing up and allowed me to drag them to music festivals all over Europe. Truth be told, as a kid I watched a tour documentary and found out that there’s an entire industry behind the scenes and knew that’s what I wanted to do.
Tour is inherently hectic, there's no clocking out or winding down at home like most traditional jobs; you’re submersed in it for weeks at a time, surrounded by the people you’re working with. How have you adjusted to this lifestyle, and learned to find the space to just slow down?
- As a tour manager, it’s important to be aware of my own limits while also keeping tabs on how everyone else is doing physically and mentally. You’re right, it’s absolutely a lifestyle, and when the tour manager is burnt out the entire tour suffers. Thankfully, now there are more discussions about the effects that touring has on the body and mind. Organizations like Tour Support offer touring professionals - both artists and crew - a community that prioritizes mental wellbeing, and it’s important that we can talk about it openly. Personally, I find that eating healthy and getting enough sleep does wonders for me. I try to wake up early and take walks so that I’m getting fresh air. It’s important to find mental space and not get too caught up in the action.
The artists that you’ve worked with span across numerous genres and venue sizes, resulting in a wide array of types of crowds and fanbases. How do your experiences vary working on these different types of tours?
- My approach with the artists I work for differs greatly from one another. Different artists have different goals, visions, and priorities and what works for one band doesn’t necessarily work for another. Right now, there’s not a lot of crossover between the fanbases of the bands I work for so it’s very cool to meet so many different people and learn what works with each demographic.
As I’ve immersed myself in further into the music industry I’ve noticed that it's difficult to find a balance between making a spectacle of women in music, and showing appreciation where its due. Have you ever felt the pressure to be the perfect role model or the pinnacle of diversity?
-I haven’t felt any pressure because I feel like the quality of my work speaks for itself. That being said, I put a lot of effort into working with women and making my tours more inclusive. I started a mentorship program for college-aged women in New York City interested in pursuing careers in live music. We meet about once a month to discuss what it’s like working in music as a woman and how to get involved with internships or shadowing opportunities. I’ve had a lot of help getting where I am and I’m really happy to help the next wave of women in music.
You have toured everywhere from the U.S to the Philippines and so many places in between, what has it been like to work amongst all these cultures, and adjusting to how shows function across the world?
- My favorite part of touring is getting to travel and learn about working in different cultures. Putting a show on in South America is very different to Australia which is very different to Asia. On one hand, I’m very preoccupied with things like taxes and tariffs and getting proper work visas for everyone to make the show work but on the other hand, I get to enjoy local food, music, and hospitality. It’s a real privilege.
While we are slowly working towards a more inclusive space for women in music, there is still a real lack of representation, going hand in hand with seemingly endless hurdles we have to jump. Do you have any advice for girls wanting to make their way into the industry, but are anxious about the obstacles that might lay ahead?
- When I was nineteen, someone told me that no one was going to take me seriously as a tour manager because I’m a woman. He couldn’t have been more wrong! Speak up for what you want and don’t be afraid to ask for what you deserve. Women have to work twice as hard in this industry but don’t let that discourage you. There’s plenty of space for women here, whether it’s on tour, at a label, or in artist management. It’s rewarding, challenging, and exciting and if I could do it, so can you.