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Farah Allen's Musical Path, From Little Mermaid to Jazmine Sullivan
Our chat with the CEO of The Labz
Farah Allen is CEO and founder of The Labz, a software platform that allows content owners access to creating entertainment-focused interactive events. Whether presenting 360 concerts, 3-D films, or multi-room corporate panel discussions, The Labz software helps you build an exciting online experience.
Farah’s previous executive positions include president and CEO of The Allen Group management consulting agency and CEO and co-founder of Song Society App.
We caught up with Farah for our Liner Notes series to learn more about her musical tastes and journey through the years, as well as recent work she’s proud of and admired.
Farah, tell us…
Your earliest musical memory.
The music arrangement from The Little Mermaid spoke to me. It opened my love for music and storytelling.
Your first concert.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was my first concert. I remember it was at the local skating rink in Miami. At that I was their biggest fan. Being that this was my first concert, it was the best day ever.
Your favorite band/musician.
Right now, Jazmine Sullivan. She is a musical leader. Her voice is transformative. She has the gift of musical storytelling.
How you get your music these days.
Spotify.
Your favorite place to see a concert.
I like intimate settings where I can get lost in the music.
Your favorite music video, if you have one, and why.
Your favorite music-focused TV show and/or podcast.
Your Morning Coffee podcast and The Voice.
A recent project you’re proud of.
We worked with a nonprofit that focuses on feeding homeless veterans. We helped them create a 360 experience where guests experience what our homeless veterans go through storytelling, visuals and music. The organization has raised tons of money since.
Someone else’s project that you admired recently.
We are working with an online talent booking company called Book with Eva. Our film clients get to hire up-and-coming musical talent for their online after parties. I love that we get to combine virtual event experiences with the talent booking world. In 2019, this was not a thing.
How musicians should approach working with brands.
They should approach it as if they are selling a product. A product has a story, a sales pitch, some historical data. Presentation is key. Brands want to work with people they like and with professional people. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is by using the same playbook product companies use.
How brands should approach working with musicians.
If a brand doesn’t know anything about the music licensing process, they are in for a lesson. If you’re a brand and you’re working with musicians, you should hire out the knowledge or learn what you can so that you don’t have to deal with the headache later if and when something goes wrong.
What music can do that nothing else can.
Take you away to somewhere else without moving or having your eyes open.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the music world.
I would invent music, lol.
Liner Notes is our weekly interview series, publishing every Monday, where we chat with folks in the music industry about their creative inspirations, their favorite bands and musicians, and generally what music means to them. For more about Liner Notes, and our Clio Music program, please get in touch.
