Feature in The Royal Academy of Music blog

Kathleen was recently interviewed for The Royal Academy of Music blog. Read the full interview text below:

Kathleen Wallfisch (Baroque Cello, 2009) set up Music in Vision in 2017 with the aim of bridging the gap between production companies and musicians. 

What have you been up to since leaving the Academy?

I studied with the wonderful Jenny Ward-Clarke and freelanced as a cellist in the period instrument world. I started my business in 2017 as I wanted the opportunity to work from home more often after having children.

Tell us a bit about Music in Vision. What do you do?

We provide music supervision, casting and consultancy services to the film and TV industry. This could be one element – finding the right artist for an on-camera role, licensing tracks, coaching talent or assisting on set, for example – or the whole process.

What gave you the idea to start Music in Vision?

I had carried out some work as an on-camera performer and wondered why the booking of musicians was such a casual process. From a consultancy point of view, production teams are not generally knowledgeable about musicians, and will leave this aspect to a casting assistant, who might not know what is required for musicians to perform to their best ability either. I wanted to provide the answers that they needed about instrumentation, rates, historical performance and so on. I was also fed up of seeing background extras being booked to play instruments when I knew that professionals could be doing the same job properly!

What have you learnt from starting your own business?

I have learnt a huge amount about structure and process. It’s essential to have a business plan and then work backwards; for example, after you have the initial idea, how will you create repetitive processes that enable you to work quickly and not start from scratch each time you have an enquiry. I wish I had done this when I started out as a freelance performer! 

Do you have any advice for students with a business idea?
Research is vital at the beginning. Do you have any competitors? If so, what is going to help you stand out? Be confident that you have lots of transferable skills as a musician, such as creativity, working well under pressure and being a good team player. You’re probably used to networking and making new contacts already – this will be essential in your new field.