A career in a cosmopolitan city: after studying in New York on a DAAD scholarship, Philipp Kaspar managed to get established in the city as a musician and music manager. He is also involved in the city’s Reading Rhythms project, which has met with a great response.

Mr. Kaspar, you completed your master’s degree in Music Business at New York University in May 2023. What is your life like today?

You need a very broad base if you want to work in the music industry. It’s thanks to my diverse education that I’ve managed to achieve what I have. I’m a pianist, I studied business administration in Munich on a Deutschlandstipendium, then I went to New York to do my master’s thesis on the German music market. I now work for a company in the live music and entertainment industry in New York City. I coordinate media campaigns, so I work closely with artists and event organizers. I’ve always wanted to ensure that playing the piano remains a part of my life, and now I can continue to pursue my passion as an active musician by working for the Reading Rhythms project as a music curator and pianist, for example. I get to play the piano on New York skyscrapers, but now and again I also write articles in the US about the German music business. It’s a great mixture – something that’s always been my goal to achieve.

What is Reading Rhythms?

It’s a wonderful story. A flat mate had the idea of organizing a reading event: the idea was that friends should get together to read on a rooftop terrace. She asked me for a playlist, so I said: I can do it live on the piano. And that’s how it all happened. The project really took off and got bigger and bigger – we now organize 20 to 30 events a month. It’s been reported on in the New York Times, NBC, Rolling Stone and ZDF.

How important is it for people who want to pursue a career in your industry to go to the US?

It has to be said: New York is where the music is. It’s hugely beneficial to come here if you want to go into the entertainment and music industry. I’ve greatly expanded my knowledge of the music business and my music management skills, and I’ve gained experience here that will always stand me in good stead. I had the opportunity to do an internship in the international marketing department of a well-known music label, for example, which enabled me to build an international network. People with international experience in the music industry come together in New York and learn from each other.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to do even more to put my knowledge of the German music business to use in international marketing. My dream would be to establish links with the German music market from New York. Being a musician myself, I’m deeply familiar with the needs of artists, and since I’m German I have insights and a deeper understanding of the world of music in Germany. I’d like to strengthen these transatlantic links – after all, that’s what has made me who I am today.

How valuable was the DAAD scholarship?

Without this support I’d never have been able to come to New York. I come from a non-academic family, but I was really keen to pursue my dream of working in the music industry in another country. In my experience, you get support if you really make an effort, and in my case, it has definitely paid off. The DAAD provided me with a lot of personal support, too, and it has a network that enables you to engage with lots of talented international people.

Do you have any advice for students who would like to go to the US like you did?

Things only happen if you make them happen. I came to New York and thought: Everything will just come to me without me having to try. And then I was amazed to find out how incredibly highly motivated everyone is and that I’d have to make a real effort to get anywhere. The DAAD gives you support and security, but you have to make things happen yourself. One of the key things for me has been having to fend for myself. Here in New York, I’ve grown a lot professionally, but I’ve also come a long way in terms of my personal growth. And amazingly enough, there’s been a change in my relationship with German music: being far away from it all, I’ve rediscovered my love of German lyrics and music! You see your country, its art and its music from a very different perspective when you view it from the outside. I now encourage my American friends to listen to German music – even if they don’t understand the lyrics. It’s really worthwhile!

Interview: Bettina Mittelstraß (24 May 2024)