How to Become a Producer of Your Life

Ninel Barilo - A prominent music PR manager. 

Today she is engaged in projects such as `The Central House of Actors,` the world renowned international Russian Jazz Festival `Manor Jazz,` and the exhibition `World Press Photo.` Her other projects also include MTV RMA Award Ceremonies, the National Beauty Competition `Beauties of Russia,` concerts of Russian and western artists including: Gloria Gaynor, Demis Roussos, the group "Ocean Elzy", the French cabaret `Crazy Horse,` The Fifth World Festival of Circus Arts`, the vocal theater `Voca People,` and many others.

She shared the secrets to her success with our readers:

• I love music, so after graduation there were simply no other alternative professions for me to consider.

• In order to start a career, I endured serious competition to become a student at the Togliatti College of Music. At this school I obtained the necessary knowledge required of a professional musician, but I had more grandiose plans.

• At first I supplemented my studies by working as a musician in the most fashionable restaurant in town - `The Dream,` but over time realized that I needed to dream of a career in Moscow. Based on my talent and knowledge, I was sure that I could succeed.

• In Moscow a wealth of opportunities appeared and I did not let them slip by. I worked as a composer, musician and as an arranger with many popular artists and was quite successful. Success is contagious.

• My secret is if you want to get something from people, you have to give them something in return. I dreamed of joining the group `Mona Lisa`, where I was accepted after I gave them three of my own songs. These compositions became the headlines of their new album.

• My music career took a turn and I became a solo artist. A video for my song `Geometry of Love` was broadcasted by most television networks and rotated on many radio stations to a great success.

• But after `trying on` many professions in music, I realized that my main gifts were creative intuition and discernment: I am good in finding, recognize and promoting new talents.

• In `big` show business it is not possible to simply `come from the street,` but I managed to become a student of the first experimental courses for musical producers at the State University of Management. There I received a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the full spectrum of Russian show business and make the necessary connections. However, it was not enough for me.

• I began to study how American show business works. As it turned out, in the US there was really a lot to be learned from. However, comparing the work of the producer `there` and `here` I found out that the producer in Russia has a very specific and difficult profession that is built in many respects on personal connections and large budgets - and this did not inspire me.

• Thus I started to explore the new field of Public Relations, a profession which has allowed me to deal with the promotion of music and entertainment projects - my true passion.

• Work on the `Kushnir Production` taught me a lot. I mastered the specifics of PR manager. I worked my way up and eventually found my niche and became a true PR professional.

• To get someone important to attend your event you need to send a personal invitation. A PR specialist will succeed if he/she constantly maintains contact with thousands of people.

• The most valuable quality of the PR manager is creativity. Sometimes the creative title of the event completely change how the media will react to a production.

• My profession is for optimists only. Someone will always be unhappy with something - either the client or the media. Therefore the main thing is to have a good sense of humor.

• The best part of my job is to witness how an unknown event transforms from nothing into a grandiose production of which everyone knows, writes and talks about.

An anecdote from Ninel Barilo as an epilogue

A blind man sits with a sign, `Help the Blind,` but almost no one gives anything. One passer by says:

- You have the wrong sign. Write something else so they will give you something.

- No, that is not acceptable. I cannot lie.

- There is no need to lie. Listen to me, I am an experienced public relations specialist. Give it to me, I will write something.

He wrote something and soon after that the money poured like rain. The blind man could not wait to find out what was written for him. Finally, one of the passers-by read it to him: `Spring is coming. But I will not see it.`