Los Insiders - SONY BMG Latin’s Loren Medina
Unwavering ambition, coupled with
fierce intellect and patience are attributes
that bestowed Loren Medina the
title of Label Manager at SONY BMG
Latin. Fueled by her love for all that is
music, the Miami native knows the true
meaning of ‘nothing ventured, nothing
gained.’ The daughter of a Colombian
and Palestinian mother and a Cuban father,
Medina completed her B.S. in Psychology
from Boston University in 2000
at the age of 21. After leaving her job as
a case manager for children, Loren’s entrepreneurial
core aspired her towards
pursuing a new career in entertainment.
From investing every dime in a dream,
to launching an indie label, to becoming
SONY BMG Latin’s label manager –representing artists like Calle 13, JEAN
and Toby Love– Medina has endured
the highs and lows that accompany the
journey towards defining ones success.
ULM sat down with the music executive
to discuss her struggles, her roll at
SONY and breaking Latin music next
superstar.
How did you transition from a career in
psychology into the music business?
I actually changed my career plans
three times. I wanted to do Forensic
Psychology and got accepted to John
Jay, but didn’t attend. Then, I wanted to
go for my Masters in business and was
accepted to FIU, but because I wanted
to come back to Miami, I didn’t follow
through with that either. So I decided I
was going to open up my own business
and just work. After moving back to Miami
in 2001, I met up with a friend who
had started her own independent music
label and she told me her plans. I [immediately]
loved her ideas and I knew
this is what I wanted to do. We set up
a company and signed a female artist.
After my partner and I split, I stayed with
the company. In 2004, I landed this artist
a deal with SONY Latin. Unfortunately,
she ended up messing up big time and
SONY dropped her contract. I invested
three-and-half-years of my life and all of
my money—I was dead broke.
When did opportunity knock again?
My boss for 3 years, Lorenzo Brown, always
told me he admired my focus and
dedication and said ‘the day I have an
opening at SONY, you’re going to come
work for me’ A year later, he calls me
and my heart dropped. He said ‘you’re
going to come work for me…come tomorrow!’
I’ve been there for three years
now.
What does your position at SONY
entail?
A label manager is the central
part of an artist’s project. I’m the liaison
between the artist’s manager, publicist,
retail and radio team, and anyone else
involved. I coordinate the entire release
of the project. Essentially, I do all the
marketing, coordinating, and scheduling
from the label’s side. We usually get
the finished product, but I’m a manager
involved in the A&R process because I
love being involved in the creative process.
As a part of SONY BMG Latin, you’re instrumental in the Latino movement.
What does that mean to you?
It’s really
important for me to be a part of the
movement because there is so much
talent amongst Latinos that has yet
to be uncovered because they either
don’t have the resources or exposure.
Through music you can fortify your essence
and gain respect for your culture,
so I’m definitely happy to be a part of
the movement.
What would you say is your most
crowning achievement?
I’m proud
that all of my hard work before I got to
SONY paid off, because nobody believed
in me. I sacrificed a lot. Everything
you could possibly think of went
wrong throughout the early years of
establishing my career. My father didn’t
want me to get into the music industry.
He had a very bad impression of
the business, because he worked as a
driver for Johnny Pacheco’s wife. Calling
my dad and telling him I got offered
a job at SONY, he had to finally pat me
on the back. Now, he’s proud of me.
He’s my role model. So for him to say ‘I’m proud of you’, that’s my greatest
accomplishment.
As for the future, what’s in store for
you?
Definitely want to run my own
business in the field of entertainment.
Also, I want to go back and work with
kids. I want to make history and to be
someone who is remembered for his or
her accomplishments. It’s going to be
long while before I get to that point, but
I definitely want to reach a level where I
can have my kids hear, ‘Your mom did
this, this and that.’ There’s nothing more
beautiful than you being a role model
for the people you are bringing into this
world and for your family.
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