Meet Ally Chapman | Tour Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ally Chapman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ally, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance has changed drastically throughout the years. A huge factor to that is the competition of the music industry. When I was starting off, I had to take every gig that came my way, it was the only way to make a name for myself. I knew I had to sacrifice a lot to have a career like mine and I was determined to work as hard as I could to be noticed. So for awhile, all I did was focus on tour.

Now that I’ve been in the industry for over 5 years, I have the option to say no. And I definitely will if the gig does not align with my values. There are so many factors that go with that, one being – I will not work for an artist that does not care about their fans. Period.

With more experience and more wisdom, I realize that the work life balance is crucial if you want to fully show up for yourself in both worlds. If you spend too much time focusing on work, your life will get out of balance. Same goes for focusing too much on life, your work will start to decline.

While I’m touring, I do dedicate majority of my time to that tour. Most days are 14-18 hour days so it’s difficult not to. I still make sure to fit in some of my self care on the road, meditating, journaling, etc. That being said, when I’m not touring, it’s crucial for me to get in a healthy routine so that when the work starts again, I am more equip to handle that gig, both mentally and physically.

I noticed something last year that changed everything for me. After going through months of no work, I was so eager to get back on the road. It’s all I could think about, especially since I had spent so much down time. But once I got on tour, I missed my slow mornings and free time. So I promised myself to really cherish each season I’m in, because I know that it’s always changing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art? Taking care of the art.

My work as a tour manager revolves around the logistics of a tour, making sure every musician or crew member has the right information for literally every single thing that goes into a show.

Definitely not easy to get to where I am today. The music industry is all about who you know, delicate timing and word of mouth. So it’s often a rough road to get on the road. Since I didn’t have any tour experience, no tour wanted me. How do you get experience when no one wants someone with no experience? It’s a silly game. After years of networking every chance I got, I landed a merch gig. Worked as a merch rep for years and then received my first tour management gig solely from someone that had worked with me and believed I could do it.

You really have to put yourself out there and not be afraid of rejection or failure.

I’ve learned an abundance of lessons along the way. One being, don’t take anything personally. Often, you will get told by a team that you are the perfect fit, then you never hear from them again. You are also constantly seeing other people getting tours that you’d love to be on so you have to constantly keep your head up and trust that you will land where you are meant to be.

Your work does not define your worth.

Something I would like the world to know about the music industry is… it’s nothing what it looks like. I knew this going into the industry but the lens I have now, is completely different than my mindset at the beginning of touring. There is a lot of ego in the industry and often feels like a popularity contest, which can be emotionally draining. If you’re lucky, you will get with an artist and team that has the right intentions. Still, we are all human and both living and working with your crew can bring on challenges most people will never be able to relate to.

To work in this industry, you have to wear a suit of armor. When you have a passion like mine, you can’t ignore it so you power through. But in the process, there is a ton of rejection, a ton of getting your hopes up and nothing coming from it. It’s a lot of putting yourself out there and getting no response. It can take a toll on your mental health. So when you see a celebrity or someone that works for one, I encourage you to not think they have “the life.” They have worked endlessly to get to where they are and I can promise you, it wasn’t an easy road.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fun fact: I actually don’t live anywhere, I recently put all my stuff in a storage unit and said “I’ll figure it out.” A few weeks later, my brother told me about an app where I can live at people’s homes for free, if I watch their pets. This is a dream for me because I get bored easily. Staying in a different home every few weeks is super exciting and I get to explore different cities all while taking care of cute animals.

My advice for people that are traveling, generally anywhere – ASK LOCALS. I have found the best spots when I ask local people where to go.

When I toured in Europe last year, we were in a different city every day. I would usually have about 20 mins during show day to go walk around. I would ask the venue what was the best scenic place in walking distance and they would always send me to the most amazing spot.

My other big piece of advice: write down your itinerary. I find that if I go on a trip with people and we have no plans written down, we end up not doing it. It’s so easy to get distracted in a new place and before you know it, the trips over and you haven’t seen half of what you planned on seeing.

Above all else, go with the flow! Even though I mentioned writing things down, I also love the spontaneity of going down roads I haven’t been down and finding random, cool nature spots outside of each town.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
MUSIC

This may not make much sense to some people but to me, music is everything. It’s not just my job, it’s my purpose and is an outlet that brings me so much peace. Working in the music industry is not all rainbows and butterflies. It’s constant rejection, and proving your deserved position in the ‘boys club’. It’s an emotional roller coaster, really high highs and really low lows. But music always brings me back to solid ground.

I’ve definitely thought about giving up and finding a new purpose. One magazine interview can not touch on how challenging this industry is. It’s music that keeps me pushing on. It’s music that keeps me believing in the pureness of people and how it can truly unite us and change the world.

Website: www.allychapman.com

Instagram: allychaps

Image Credits
Jaquelyn Cruz Jasser Antig Nicki Parayno